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MPC60 Software Version 3.1 



Operator's Manual 



For the Akai MPC60 and MPC60-II 



MIDI Production Center 



Written by Roger Linn and David Battino 



Document revision date: January 22, 2002 
Copyright 1995-1999 Roger Linn Design 

Roger Linn Design 

2269 CInestnut St. Suite 602, San Francisco, CA 94123 

Phone: (415)474-0903 

Fax: (415) 474-1118 

E-mail: l\/lail@RLinnDesign.com 

Web: www.RLinnDesign.com 



Table of Contents 



Chapter 1: Introduction 1 

Welcome! 2 

What Are the New Features in Version 3.1? 3 

Chapter 2: The Basics 9 

Hooking Up Your System 10 

Getting Around on the MPC60 1 1 

The Cursor, Cursor Keys, Data Fields, and Command Keys 1 1 

The Numeric Keypad, Data Entry Knob, and [+] & [-] Keys 12 

The Soft Keys 13 

The HELP l<ey 13 

'Definitions: Sequence, Track, Song, Sound, Pad, Note Number, and Program' 14 

Loading and Playing Sounds and Programs 17 

Playing the Pads, the BANK 2, & FULL LEVEL Keys 18 

Selecting Programs 18 

The Note Variation Slider (the new name for the Hihat Decay Slider) and 

AFTER key 19 

The 16 LEVELS key 21 

Chapter 3: Recording Sequences 25 

How Sequences are Organized 26 

The IVIAIN SCREEN Key & Play/Record Screen 27 

The Play/Record Keys 34 

'Sequence Recording Example 1 : A Looped Drum Pattern' 37 

'Sequence Recording Example 2: A IVIultitrack Sequence' 39 

'The TIIVIING CORRECT Key: Correcting Timing Errors, Swing Timing' 43 

The Note Repeat Feature 45 

Tempo and the TEIVIPO/SYNC Key 47 

IVIid-Sequence Tempo Changes 50 

The TAP TEIVIPO Key 51 

The WAIT FOR KEY and COUNT IN Keys 53 

The AUTO PUNCH Key 54 

The 2nd SEQ Key 56 

The OTHER Key 57 

Metronome, Foot Switches, and Free Sequence IVlemory 57 

Initializing System Parameters 60 

The Record 16 Channels Function: IVIultichannel Recording' 60 

Recording IVIIDI System-Exclusive Data 64 

Chapter 4: Editing Sequences 65 

The ERASE Key 66 

Erasing Notes in Real Time While in Overdub IVIode 66 

Erasing Notes or Other Events While Stopped 66 

Initializing a Sequence 68 

The EDIT Key 71 

Viewing and Changing Time Signature 71 

Rearranging the Track Order 72 

Inserting Blank Bars Into a Sequence 73 

Deleting Bars From a Sequence 73 

Copying Bars (All Tracks) 74 

Copying Events 75 

Copying an Entire Sequence to Another 77 

Shifting the Timing of Many Notes 78 

Global Editing of Note Event Data 79 

Editing Note Velocity or Duration Data 80 



Editing Note Number Assignment of Drum Note Events 82 

Editing Note Variation Data of Drum Note Events 83 

The STEP EDIT Key 85 

Using Step Edit 86 

Step Edit Event Types 87 

Step Edit Options 91 

Step Recording 94 

The EDIT LOOP Key 95 

Using Edit Loop as an Undo Function 96 

The TRANSPOSE Key 97 

Transposing in Real Time While Playing 98 

Chapter 5: Song Mode 99 

Overview 100 

The SONG MODE Key and Song Mode Screen 101 

An Example of Creating and Playing a Song 104 

Converting a Song Into a Long Sequence 106 

Chapter 6: Creating and Editing Programs 107 

What Are Programs? 108 

Selecting the Active Program, Assigning Sounds Ill 

Envelope, Velocity Modulation, Tuning, Poly Mode 116 

Copying and Initializing Programs 119 

Chapter 7: The DRUIM IMIX Key 123 

The Stereo Output Mixer 124 

The Individual Outputs/Echo Send Mixer 126 

Viewing the Mix Data in Text Form 128 

Mixer Source Select, Automated Mix 131 

Chapter 8: Creating and Editing Sounds 135 

Sampling a New Sound 136 

Editing a sound 141 

Renaming, Copying, and Deleting a Sound 145 

Triggering a Sound from an External Signal — ^the Audio Trigger 148 

Stereo Sampling 149 

Sound Compression 152 

Chapter 9: Saving to and Loading from Disk 153 

Overview 154 

Saving Files 156 

Saving a SEQ File (Single Sequence) 156 

Saving an ALL File (All Sequences and Songs) 157 

Saving a SND File (Single Sound) 158 

Saving a PGM File (Single Program & Sounds) 159 

Saving an APS File (All Programs and Sounds) 161 

Saving a PAR File (System Parameters) 163 

Loading, Erasing, or Renaming Files 165 

Loading a SEQ File (Single Sequence) 167 

Loading an ALL File (All Sequences and Songs) 169 

Loading a SND File (Single Sound) 170 

Loading a PGM File (Single Program and Sounds) 170 

Loading an APS File (All Programs and Sounds) 172 

Loading an MPC60 Version 1 or 2 SET or ST1 File 172 

Loading a PAR File (System Parameters) 176 

Files That Automatically Load on Power-Up 176 



Saving and Loading MIDI Files 177 

Copying an Entire Floppy Disk 181 

Formatting a Floppy Disk 182 

Floppy disk errors 183 

Using the Marion Systems M PC-SCSI Interface for External Hard Disk Storage 184 

Formatting a SCSI Inard disk 184 

Making a SCSI Hard Disk Active 186 

Chapter 10: Syncing to Tape and Other Devices 189 

The SYNC Screen 190 

Syncing to Tape and OtIner Devices: Examples 197 

Syncing to MIDI Clock 197 

Syncing to SMPTE 197 

Syncing to MIDI Time Code 199 

Syncing to FSK24 200 

Syncing to 1/4-note Clicks 201 

Chapter 11: MIDI Functions 203 

Assigning Pads to Note Numbers 204 

MIDI Receive Channel, Local Mode, Soft Thru, Note Variation Controller Assign 

and Sustain Pedal Processing 206 

MIDI Input Filter 209 

Using tine MPC60 witin External Sequencers 212 

Turning All Notes Off 213 

The MIDI Implementation Charts 214 

Appendix 217 

Technical Specifications of Akai MPC60 218 

Answers to Frequent Questions 220 

Contents of Disk Files 223 

MPC60 Options 227 

Expanding the Sound Memory 227 

The SCSI Hard Disk Option 227 

Using Version 3.1 Software in the Akai ASQ10 Sequencer 228 

Index 229 



Chapter 1 : 
Introduction 



Chapter 1: Introduction 



Welcome! 

Since its release in 1988, tlie Aka\ MPC60 MIDI Production Center has 

earned a reputation not only as the world's greatest drum machine but 
also as a powerful sequencer for those who desire an alternative to the 
complexity and confusion of computer sequencers. 

In developing the successor to the MPC60 — the new MPC3000 — we 
expanded the MPC60's popular features, added many new ones, and 
reworked some concepts to make them more powerful, efficient, and 
intuitive. While the MPC3000 also offers significant hardware 
improvements, the good news is that we were able to port much of its 
advanced software back into the IVIPCeO. We think you'll find that the 
Version 3.1 software will greatly enhance your music making. 

Since the advent of sequencers I have tracked their evolution with great 
interest, and in my view, sequencers have evolved to a point where they 
are now a legitimate instrument on their own. Many of today's musicians 
could be better described as sequencer players than as keyboardists or 
guitarists. Album credits often read "programming by..." to denote a 
musician who has used a sequencer to create the backing track for a 
recording. These new musicians think and compose in terms of total 
arrangement as opposed to single instruments. In many ways, the 
sequencer's panel and display screens are their strings and keys, 
allowing them to reach heights of creativity never before possible. 

In this light, I like to think of the MPC60 as the piano or violin of our time, 
and of you as an MPC60ist. In the same way a violinist's style is 
identified by his or her vibrato and phrasing, your MPC60 virtuosity may 
be identified by your particular swing settings, your creative use of Note 
Repeat, or your real-time use of the Note Variation feature. As an 
MPCeOist, if you find the instrument useful in your creative process, 
please let the world know. Next time you perform on a recording, ask to 
be credited not with, "Keyboards played by..." or "Programming by..." but 
rather with, "MPC60 played by...." 

Thanks for your continued support of the MPC60. I hope you enjoy 
playing it as much as we have enjoyed developing it. 



Page 2 



Chapter 1: Introduction 



What Are the New Features in Version 3.1? 



The MPC60 Version 3.1 software contains many clianges and 
improvements over version 2. Tlie major clianges are listed below. 



Sound Generator Changes 

• The former 4.5 second limit on new samples has been eliminated. 
New samples may now be as long as available memory, up to 26.2 
seconds in an expanded MPC60. Also, it is no longer necessary to 
erase all sequence memory before sampling. 

• You may now sample stereo sounds. This accomplished by first 
sampling one side of the stereo sound, then afterwards sampling the 
other side. Then, a new feature resynchronizes these two mono 
sounds and converts them into a single stereo sound. 

• The new Sound Compression feature squeezes any sound into 
the memory space, at the expense of lower treble fidelity. If all 
sounds in memory are compressed, this effectively doubles available 
sound memory. 

• You may now load all MPC3000 disk files, including stereo sounds. 
However, the MPC60 cannot read the high-density MPCSOOO-fomiat 
disks. To read MPC3000 files, they must first be saved from an 
MPC3000 onto an MPC60-format disk. 

• Total sound capacity is increased from 34 to 128 sounds. 

• The new programs system of sound assignment allows all sound 
assignments to be instantly changed merely by changing the active 
program number, instead of by loading a new SET file as before. 
There are eight programs, each with a unique set of sound 
assignments from a common bank of 1 28 sounds. Unlike SET files, 
saving a program to disk only saves assignment and parameter 
information; the sounds used by the program are saved as individual 
sound files. This allows multiple programs to be saved to the same 
disk without redundantly saving sound data as SET files did. 

• New Mono Mode parameter causes a voice to restart, terminating 
earlier plays. Also, any sound can be set to terminate any two other 
sounds. 

• Sample editing is enhanced. Now, any portion of a sound can be 
copied or removed and then inserted into another sound at any 
location. Also, any portion can be silenced or reversed. 

• The Double Play feature has been removed. Instead, up to three 
sounds can be assigned to play from an incoming MIDI note number 
or pad. The sounds can either play simultaneously, switch 
depending on note velocity, or switch depending on envelope decay 
(to simulate the old hi-hat decay slider function). 

• The Best Start feature automatically finds the point within a sound at 
which the drum strike begins, bypassing any dead space at the 
beginning of the sound which could cause playback delays. 

• The envelope decay parameter is now switchable between two 
modes: END (same as the old Fadeout parameter) and START 
(decay begins immediately following attack). 



Page 3 



Chapter 1: Introduction 



Sequencer Changes 

• MIDI Files are now supported, allowing you to move your sequences 

between the MPC60 and an external computer sequencer. 

• In Step Edit, the REWIND [<] and FAST FORWARD [>] keys can 
now be used to search to the previous or next event within a track. 

• In Step Edit, events can be cut and pasted by changing the function 
of Soft Keys 1 and 2 from <lnsert> and <Delete> to <Paste> and 
<Cut>. 

• The number of pad banks has been increased from two to four for a 
total of 64 pad/bank combinations. The active pad bank is indicated 
by a letter (A-D) at the top right of the LCD screen. Also, check the 
BANK 2 light: it's off for bank A and on for banks B-D. 

• In drum tracks, drum notes are now assigned to MIDI note numbers 
instead of to pads. This provides easier compatibility with external 
MIDI devices and allows pad assignments to be rearranged without 
affecting sequence or program data. MPC60 Version 2 sequences 
are automatically converted from pad assignment to note number 
assignment when loaded. 

• The Hi-hat Decay Slider has been renamed the Note Variation 
Slider, since it can now generate a unique value of either decay, 
tuning, or attack for every note, and can be assigned to any pad. 

• The 16 Levels function can now provide 16 levels of velocity, tuning, 
attack, or decay for every note. 

• The Copy/Merge a Track feature (renamed Copy Events )now 
permits specific drum notes to be copied. 

• The Change Velocity/Duration feature now allows specific drum 
notes to be edited. 

• The new Shift Timing feature shifts track timing independently of 
timing correction. 

• The new Edit Note Number Assignment feature permits reassigning 

specific drum notes from one note number (instrument) to another. 

• The Count In feature can now be set to activate only before 
recording. 

• The Punch In feature can now be set to Punch-In Only or Punch-Out 
Only. 

• New MIDI Local Mode internally disconnects the pads from the 
sound generator. This is useful when using the pads and sound 
generator with external sequencers. 



General Changes 

• Hard disk save and load operations are now included. (This requires 
a SCSI interface kit available from Marion Systems. See appendix 
for more information.) 

• In order to make room in ROM memory for the new features, we had 
to remove all of the help screens, as well as three underused 
features: MIDI Sample Dump (SDS), Pulse 96 sync and the "data 
changed" indicator above the DISK key. 



Page 4 



Chapter 1: Introduction 



New Software Concepts — More Detail 

Most of the operational differences between tine old and new software 
should be relatively simple for veteran MPC60 users to understand, but 
some changes are more complex than others. Here is additional 
information about the more complex changes. 



The new Programs system 

Version 3 software uses a new system of sound assignments called 
programs. A program is a set of 64 sound assignments and sound 
modifying parameters. There are eight different programs, each with a 
unique set of sound assignments to a common bank of up to 128 sounds 
in memory. Only one program can be active at a time. As result of this 
new system, changing a pad's assignment from one sound to another is 
done merely by changing the contents of a data field. Changing from one 
entire set of sound assignments to another is done by changing the 
active program number. In addition to the sound assignments, each 
program contains a unique set of sound modifying parameters for each 
sound assignment. These parameters include envelope, tuning, velocity 
modulation, and other data. This is explained further in Chapter 6, 
"Creating and Editing Programs." 



SET files are replaced by the new Program files. 

In the old software, all sounds and sound assignments were saved in 

one large SET file. In order to change all pad assignments, it was 
necessary to load a new SET file. Because of Version 3's new Program 
system of sound assignments, SET files have been replaced by PGIVI 
(program) files. A PGIVI file contains all assignment information but no 
sound data. Instead, when a PGIVI file is saved, all sounds used by the 
program are also saved as individual sound files. This new method 
allows different PGIVI files on the same disk to use the same sound files, 
eliminating the problem of saving sound data redundantly in multiple SET 
files. However, SET files can be loaded — the assignments are loaded 
into a program and the sounds are added to sound memory. 

There is another new save operation called Save All Programs and 
Sounds. This saves a file with the extension APS containing the data of 
all eight programs, followed by a sound file for every sound currently in 
memory. 

Saving of PGM and APS files is explained further in chapter 9, "Saving 
To and Loading From Disk." 



Sounds and sequenced drum notes are now assigned to note 
numbers instead of to pad names. 

In the old software, sounds and sequenced drum notes were assigned to 
one of a number of fixed drum pad names (HIHT, SNR1 , DR01 , etc.) In 



Page 5 



Chapter 1: Introduction 



Version 3, sounds in programs and drum notes in sequences are 
assigned instead to one of 64 IVIIDI note numbers (35-98), as are eacli 
of the 64 pad/bank combinations (A01-D16). Ttie fixed four-ctiaracter 
drum names are no longer used. Thiis new note number assignment 
method provides the following advantages over the old pad-assign 
method: 

1. Because pads are assigned to IVIIDI note numbers 
independently of sound assignments in programs or note 
assignments in drum tracl<s, tine pad assignments can be 
freely rearranged to personal preference without affecting 
sequences or sound assignments. 

2. When using the IVIPC60 as a sound generator, it is no longer 
necessary to use tine old "Assign incoming notes to pads" 
conversion table, which has been removed. Instead, simply 
assign the received IVIIDI note number directly to a sound. 

3. Notes can be recorded from IVIIDI directly into drum tracl<s 
without the need for the old "Assign incoming notes to pads" 
conversion table, which has been removed. Now, when 
viewing a drum note in Step Edit, the actual MIDI note 
number received is displayed, as well as the currently 
assigned pad number (A01-D16) and sound name. 

4. Drum notes are sent out over MIDI without the need for the 
old "Assign pads to outgoing note numbers" conversions, a 
function which has been removed. When viewing a drum note 
in Step Edit, the actual MIDI note number displayed is sent 
out. 

When old SEQ or ALL files are loaded, a screen is presented explaining 
that the pad assignments of drum notes will be converted to note number 
assignments and offering conversion options. 

For a more detailed explanation of how Version 3 uses note numbers, 
please refer to the beginning of chapters 6 and 1 1 , "Creating and Editing 
Programs" and "MIDI Functions." 



Assigning tracks as either Drum or iVIiDi 

In the old software, a track was assigned to drums by assigning its 
output MIDI channel to the Drums Channel, which is the input MIDI 
channel of the intemal sound generator. In Version 3, assigning a track 
to drums is simpler: a new data field in the Play/Record screen permits 
each track to be assigned as either DRUM or MIDI. MIDI tracks contain 
normal MIDI data recorded from the MIDI input and played out through 
the MIDI outputs. Drum tracks are the same as MIDI tracks except for 
the following: 

1. The output of the track plays to the internal drum sound 
generator. 

2. You can record drum notes into the track using the front panel 
pads. 

3. In sequence editing screens, note events in Drum tracks are 
visually identified and selected not by note number only as in 



Page 6 



Chapter 1: Introduction 



MIDI tracks, but also by the pad number and sound name 
currently assigned to the displayed note number. 
4. Drum tracks are not affected by the Transpose function. 

Independently, each track (DRUM or MIDI) can be assigned to any MIDI 
channel and MIDI output port. As a result of this change, the old Drums 
Channel and Drum Data Sent Out fields have been removed. 



New Note Variation system and revised 16 LEVELS function 

In the old software, the Hi-hat Decay Slider controlled decay time and 
sound selection for the hi-hat pad only. In Version 3, the new Note 
Variation Slider provides all functions of the hi-hat decay slider, but can 
be assigned to any pad and can alternately control either tuning, attack 
or decay. As with the Hi-hat Decay Slider, this information is recorded 
into each drum note. 

The 16 Levels function does everything it did in the old software. In 
addition, it can produce 16 levels of either attack or decay by working in 
conjunction with the Note Variation system. 



Deiete Bars and Copy Bars: Last bar fieid has different function than 
oid To bar fieid 

In the Delete Bars function, the Last Bar field now contains the actual 
last bar of the region to be deleted. This is different from the old To Bar 
field, which contained the first bar after the region to be deleted. 

In the Copy Bars function, the Last Bar field now contains the actual last 
bar of the region to be copied. This is different from the old To Bar field, 
which contained the first bar after the region to be copied. 



Page 7 



Chapter 2: 
The Basics 



Chapter 2: The Basics 



Hooking Up Your System 

The following diagram shows how to hook up the MPC60 to a MIDI 
keyboard and two sound modules. (Note that the MIDI OUT jacks on 
older MPC60S are labeled 1-4, not A-D.) 



MPC60 



TO AUDIO CONSOLE A A 



00 00 0 



OOO * 066 



(V] 



OGOOOO OOGOOOGG J 



TO 
POWER 



MIDI OUT MIDIIN 
D— C— B— A 2—1 




MULTI TIMBRAL MIDI KEYBOARD 



MIDI IN- 



□ 



I 



]oo 



□□□□□□□□ 



□ □□□ 

□ □□□ 

□ □□a 




MULTI TIMBRAL MIDI SOUND MODULE 



MIDI IN" 



□ 



I 



]oo 



□ □□□□□□Cl 



□ □□a 

□ □□a 

□ □□□ 




MIDI IN- 



MULTI TIMBRAL MIDI SOUND MODULE 



If you only want to use the MPC60 as a drum machine for now, don't 
connect the MIDI keyboard, the sound modules, or make any MIDI 
connections. If you choose to make the MIDI connections, you can daisy 
chain all of the sound generators to MIDI Output A of the MPC60. 
(Connect MIDI Out A of the MPC60 to the MIDI in of the keyboard; 
connect the keyboard's MIDI thru to the MIDI in of the first sound 
generator; and connect its MIDI thru to the MIDI in of the next sound 
generator.) This method of connection, however, will limit the total 
number of MIDI channels on all sound generators to 16. By using the 
four independent MIDI outputs shown in the connection method above, 
you can use all 16 MIDI channels on each of the four MIDI Outputs. 



Page 10 



Chapter 2: The Basics 



Getting Around on the MPC60 



Before you can use the MPC60, you must learn how to use the cursor 
keys, data fields, command keys, the data entry keys and data entry 
knob, the soft keys and the HELP key. 

While no disk is in the drive, turn the power on. After a few seconds, the 
LCD screen will display the following text: 



============== Play/Record ============A 

Seq: 1- (unused) BPM:120.0 (SEQ) 

Sig: 4/ 4 Bars: 0 Loop : TO BAR 1 
============== Track Data ============== 

Trk: 1- (unused) Type: DRUM On: YES 

Chn:OFF- (of f ) & OFF Vel%:100 Pgm:OFF 

===== Now: 001 . 01 . 00 (00:00:00:00) ====== 

<Tk on/off> <Solo=OFF> <Track-> <Track+> 



This is known as the Play/Record screen, as indicated by the title at the 
top of the screen. It's also known as the IVIain Screen. It is the main 
operating state of the MPC60 and most playing and recording of 
sequences is done when this screen is in view. It will be discussed 
further in the chapter entitled "Recording Sequences." If at any time 
while operating the IVIPCGO you are confused and want to return to this 
screen, press the MAIN SCREEN key. 

COMMENT: If you can't clearly see the text on the screen, try 
adjusting the LCD CONTRAST knob. 



The Cursor, Cursor Keys, Data Fields, and Command Keys 

Make sure that the Play/Record screen is showing. If not, press MAIN 
SCREEN. 

Notice that a small rectangular block is blinking somewhere on the 
screen. This is called the cursor. It is possible to move the cursor 
around the screen using the four gray direction keys located toward the 
right side of the panel. These four keys are referred to as the CURSOR 
LEFT, CURSOR RIGHT, CURSOR UP and CURSOR DOWN keys. Try 
moving the cursor around the LCD, then move it to the upper left corner. 

Notice that the cursor does not move from letter to letter, but rather 
jumps across many letters at a time, landing only in certain locations, 
usually to the right of a colon (:). These areas are called data fields and 
each one controls a specific parameter. For example, the upper left-most 
data field is called Seq, an abbreviation for sequence. To the right of this 
field is another field containing the name for the selected sequence. 



Page 11 



Chapter 2: The Basics 



The Play/Record screen is one of many display screens available on the 
MPC60. Most of the panel keys present a unique screen, and each 
screen has its own unique data fields. Try pressing a few of the different 
keys in the Commands section of the panel, such as DISK or 
TEMPO/SYNC. 



The Numeric Keypad, Data Entry Knob, and [+] & [-] Keys 

Make sure that the Play/Record screen is showing. If not, press MAIN 
SCREEN. 



To change the data in a data field, move the cursor to the field and type 
in the new number using the numeric keypad, followed by ENTER. For 
example, to change to sequence number 2: 

1 . Move the cursor to the Seq field in the upper left corner; 

2. Type 2, followed by the ENTER key. 

Notice that the sequence name (located immediately to the right of the 
sequence number) now changes automatically, because it must now 
display the name of sequence 2. 

Another use of the numeric keypad is to select from a list of menu 
options presented on the screen. For example, pressing the SOUNDS 
key causes the following menu to be displayed: 



===== Programs ===== ===== Sounds ====A 

l.Sel pgm, asn snds 5. Sample new sound 

2 . Envel, veloc, tune . . 6. Edit sound 

3. Note Variation Sldr 7 . Renam, cpy, delete 

4. Copy, initialize 8. Audio trigger 



Select option: 



When a screen like this is displayed, you are expected to select one of 
the options by pressing a single number— it is not necessary to press 
ENTER aftenwards. Press MAIN SCREEN to return to the Play/Record 

screen. 



Another way of changing on-screen data is to use the data entry knob. 
While the cursor is in a data field, if the data entry knob is rotated one 

step to the right, the on-screen number will increment. If the data entry 
knob is rotated one step to the left, the on-screen number will 
decrement. Continuously turning the data entry knob will repeatedly 
increment or decrement the on-screen value. It is not necessary to press 
ENTER after turning the data entry knob. 

There is a special type of data field called a choice field. Fields of this 
type do not contain numeric data, but rather a specific number of preset 
text selections, though only one can be active at a time. In this case, the 



Page 12 



Chapter 2: The Basics 



data entry knob is used to select from the available options. For 
example, press the OTHER key and move the cursor to the Rate field, 
which is a choice field. Now turn the data entry l^nob and notice that with 
each step of the knob, a different preset option appears in the data field. 
When finished, set this field back to 1/4 NOTE. 

Pressing the [+] key has the same effect as turning the data entry knob 
one step to the right. It either increments a number in a numeric field or 
chooses the next option in a choice field. 

Pressing the [-] key has the same effect as turning the data entry knob 
one step to the left. It either decrements a number in a numeric field or 
chooses the previous option in a choice field. 



The Soft Keys 

IVIake sure that the Play/Record screen is showing. If not, press IVIAIN 
SCREEN. 

Below the LCD screen are four keys labeled SOFT KEY 1 , SOFT KEY 2, 
SOFT KEY 3, and SOFT KEY 4. The functions of these keys change 
from one screen to another; these functions are always displayed on the 
lowest line of the screen. For example, while the Play/Record screen is 
showing, the lowest line appears as: 



<Tk on/off> <Solo=OFF> <Track-> <Track+> 



The bottom line shows four titles enclosed in angle brackets. The titles 
are <Tk On/Off >, <Solo=OFF>, <Track-> and <Track+>. These four 
titles indicate the functions of the four soft keys, but only while this 
screen is showing. IVIost of the screen displays in the IVIPCeO have soft 
key functions, and the lowest line of each of these screens indicates the 
function of the four soft keys while that screen is showing. You can see 
this by pressing the ERASE key, then the TIMING CORRECT key, then 
MAIN SCREEN to return to the Play/Record screen. Some screens have 
fewer than four active soft keys and some have none. 



The HELP key 

Son7, but in order to add all the new features contained in version 3.1 , 
we had to remove the HELP feature. 



Page 13 



Chapter 2: The Basics 



Definitions: Sequence, Track, Song, Sound, Pad, 
Note Number, and Program 

Here are some definitions of terms used in the IVlPCeO that you should 
know: 



Sequence 

A sequence can be thought of as a segment of multitrack tape of 

varialDle length. Depending on the sequence contents, it could be a two- 
bar repeating drum pattern, an eight-bar verse, or an entire 200-bar 
multitrack composition with time signature and tempo changes. The 
IVIPC60 holds 99 sequences in memory at one time. Normally, only one 
sequence can play at one time, unless the Second Sequence feature is 
on, which allows two sequences or one sequence and one song to play 
simultaneously. 



Track 

Within each of the 99 sequences are 99 tracks that contain the actual 
IVIIDI events. These can be thought of as the tracks on a multitrack tape 
recorder — they each contain a specific instrument or piece of the total 
arrangement, but they all play simultaneously. For example, track 1 
could be drums, track 2 percussion, track 3 bass, track 4 piano, track 5 
horns, track 6 more horns, etc. Each track can be assigned as a Drum 
track or a MIDI track, but not both. IVIIDI tracks contain normal IVIIDI data 
recorded from the IVIIDI Input and played out through the IVIIDI output. 
Drum tracks are the same as IVIIDI tracks except for the following: 

1 . The output of the track plays the Internal drum sound 
generator. 

2. You can record drum notes Into the track using the front panel 

pads. 

3. In sequence editing screens, note events in drum tracks are 
visually Identified and selected not just by note number (as 
are MIDI tracks), but also by the pad number and sound 
name currently assigned to the displayed note number. 

4. Drum tracks are not affected by the Transpose function. 



Song 

A song Is a list of sequences that play consecutively, with each 
sequence representing a section of a composition. In the MPC60 there 
are 20 songs, each having up to 250 steps. Each step holds one 
sequence and can repeat a specified number of times before the song 
moves to the next step. 



Page 14 



Chapter 2: The Basics 



Sound 

Each individual sampled recording in the MPC60 is called a sound. A 
sound could be a recording of a single strike of a snare drum or cymbal, 
or a sound effect. Sounds are sampled in a proprietary 12-bit non-linear 
format at a sampling rate of 40kHz and can be any length up to the limit 
of sound memory. A maximum of 128 sounds can reside in sound 
memory. 



Pad 

When sounds are loaded into the IVIPCeO, each pad plays a particular 
sound. Though there are only 16 pads, the IViPCeO can hold many more 
than 16 sounds, To access more than 16 sounds from the pads, the 
IVIPC60 provides four banks of pad assignments permitting up to 64 
sounds to be played from the 16 pads. Only one bank can be active at a 
time. The four banks are named A, B, C, and D, and the pads are 
numbered 1 through 16. The 64 bank/pad combinations are named by 
combining tlie bank letter (A-D) with the pad number: 

Pads in bank A: A01 through A16 
Pads in bank B: B01 through B16 
Pads in bank C: C01 through CI 6 
Pads in bank D: D01 through D16 

Each of these 64 bank/pad combinations (A01-D16) is refen-ed to as a 
pad. 

Notice that sounds are not assigned directly to pads, but rather to IVIIDI 
Note Numbers. In order for a pad to play a sound, it is first assigned to a 
MIDI note number, then that note number is assigned to a sound. This is 
described further in the "MIDI Functions" and "Creating and Editing 
Programs" chapters of this manual. 



Note Number 

In MIDI terminology, note number refers to the element in a MIDI Note 
On event that supplies the pitch of the note. The note number range is 
from 0 to 127. For example, if Middle C is played on a MIDI keyboard, a 
Note On event is sent out over MIDI containing note number 60; the 
receiving sound generator interprets this as Middle C and plays the 
appropriate pitch. If the sound generator is playing drum sounds, the 
note number is not used for pitch, but rather to select which drum will 
play — one key for bass drum, one for snare, one for high tom, etc. 

This system of using MIDI note numbers to select drums is used in the 
MPC60's sound assignment system. In programs (described below), 
sounds are assigned directly to one of 64 MIDI note numbers (35-98). In 
sequences, drum notes are also assigned to one of 64 note numbers 
(35-98) to indicate which sound to play. Because of this assignment 
method, there are many data fields in the MPC60 called Note, in which 
you enter either the note number you wish to assign in a program, or the 
note number you wish to edit in a sequence's drum track. (For easy 



Page 15 



Chapter 2: The Basics 



visual identification in these Note fields, the note number is accompanied 
by both the currently assigned pad number and sound name.) 



Program 

Once a sound is loaded into memory, it cannot be played by pads or 
from MIDI until it is assigned within a program. A program is a collection 

of 64 sound assignments and can be thought of as a drum set. In a 
program, each of 64 MIDI note numbers (35-98) is assigned to one of 
the 128 possible sounds currently residing in memory. Once assigned to 
a note number, a sound can be played in one of three ways: 

1 . By receiving a Note On message from the MIDI input; 

2. By playing a front panel drum pad (each pad is also assigned to one 
of the 64 MIDI note numbers 35-98); 

3. By playing drum tracks in sequences (each note event in a drum track 
is assigned to one of the 64 MIDI note numbers 35-98). 

In addition to the 64 sound assignments, each program also contains a 
number of sound modifying parameters for each of the 64 sound 
assignments, including envelope, tuning, mixer, and velocity response 
data. 

The MPC60 has 8 different programs (one of which can be active at a 
time) each with its own unique set of 64 assignments. Simply by 
changing the active program number (1-8), all 64 sound assignments 
and their sound modifying settings will instantly change. 



Page 16 



Chapter 2: The Basics 



Loading and Playing Sounds and Programs 



All sounds and programs are held in RAM memory and are therefore lost 
whenever the power is turned off. In order to play any sounds after 
turning the power on, you must load them in from disk. The procedure for 
loading files from disk is described in the "Saving To and Loading From 
Disk" chapter of this manual, but to get you started quickly, here's how to 
load sounds from disk. 

COMMENT: Unlike version 2 software, SET files are no longer 
used in the MPC60. The new PROGRAM file format is used 
instead. However, your SET files may be loaded into version 3 
software, and are automatically converted into the new 
PROGRAM format. 



To load a version 2 SET or ST1 file: 

1 . Place a disk containing a version 2 SET or ST1 file in the disk drive. 

2. Press the DISK key, then 7. 

3. When the "Load/Erase/Rename Files" screen appears, rotate the 
DATA ENTRY control until the File field contains a file name ending with 
the extension ".SET" or ".ST1", then press Soft Key 1. 

4. A screen will appear asking you if you want to load the entire file or 
one sound. Press 1 to load the entire file. 

5. Additional question screens will be presented. If confused, simply 
press Soft Key 1 in response to each screen until the file starts loading. 
When finished, your version 3 MPC60 will contain sounds. Press MAIN 
SCREEN to return to the main Play/Record screen. 



To load a version 3 Program or All Programs file: 

1. Place a disk containing a Program file or an All Programs file in the 
disk drive. 

2. Press the DISK key, then 7. 

3. When the "Load/Erase/Rename Files" screen appears, rotate the 
DATA ENTRY control until the File field contains a file name ending with 
the extension ".PGM" or ".APS", then press Soft Key 1. 

4. A screen will appear requiring user input. If confused, simply press 
Soft Key 1 and the file will begin loading. When finished, your version 3 
MPC60 will contain sounds. Press MAIN SCREEN to return to the main 
Play/Record screen. 



Page 17 



Chapter 2: The Basics 



Playing the Pads, the BANK 2, & FULL LEVEL Keys 

Each sampled recording in tine MPC60 is called a sound. To hear some 
of the drum sounds you have just loaded, play the 16 dynamic pads on 
the front panel. To hear other sounds, press the BANK 2 key once so 
that the light above the key is lit, then play the pads again. The MPC60 
has four pad banks (A, B, C and D). To hear the sounds assigned to pad 
bank C, press BANK 2 again and play the pads, and do the same to hear 
bank D. Each time you press the BANK 2 key you change to the next 
pad bank, and with each bank the 16 pads play different sounds. When 
you return to pad bank A, the light will turn off. In almost all screens, a 
letter at the extreme top right will display the active pad bank. 

The 64 bank/pad combinations are named by combining the bank letter 
(A-D) with the pad number: 

Pads in bank A: A01 through A16 
Pads in bank B: B01 through B16 

Pads in bank C: C01 through C16 
Pads in bank D: D01 through D16 

Each of these 64 bank/pad combinations (A01-D16) is refen-ed to as a 
pad. 

The 16 pads are dynamic — the harder you play them, the louder the 
sound will play. If desired, however, this touch sensitivity can be 
defeated. Press the FULL LEVEL key (the light will go on), and no 
matter how softly you play the pads, the sound will play at its maximum 
dynamic level. Press FULL LEVEL again to return to normal dynamic 
operation. 



Selecting Programs 

The 64 sound assignments you have just heard (four pad banks of 16 
sounds each) comprise a program. The l\/!PC60 can hold up to 8 
programs. Each program has a unique set of 64 sound assignments, so 
you can think of programs as drum sets. If you change from one program 
to another, playing the four banks of pads will produce entirely different 
sounds. 

When you just played the pads and heard the sounds, you were hearing 
the sounds assigned in Program 1. If another program is currently 
loaded into program 2, you can switch to program 2 in the following way: 

1. Press the SOUNDS key and select 1, "Select program, assign 
sounds," from the menu. The following screen will appear: 



Page 18 



Chapter 2: The Basics 



============ Select Program ===========A 

Active program: 1-PR0GRAM_NAME 
========== Assign Note:41/A08 ========== 

Sound :BIG_BAD_D RUM Mode: NORMAL 

General MIDI name for note:LO FLOR TOM 



<Play> 



2. Move the cursor to the Active Program field. It should display 1. Select 
program 2 using the data entry knob. 

3. Play the sounds in program 2: Select Pad Bank A and play the 
sounds, then select Pad Bank B and play the sounds, then play bank 
C, then bank D. 

4. Repeat step 3, except select program 3 and play the sounds. Repeat 

this procedure to hear the otiier programs. 

5. To return to the Play/Record screen, press IVIAIN SCREEN. 



The Note Variation Slider (the new name for the Hihat Decay 
Slider) andAFTER key 

In Version 3 software, the IVIPCGO's Hihat Decay Slider is called the Note 
Variation Slider because its function is expanded beyond merely altering 
the decay of the hihat sound as in Version 2 software. 

The Note Variation slider can now be used in real time to change the 
tuning, attack, or decay of a sound played from a single pad. Once the 
slider is assigned to single pad and parameter, moving the slider while 
playing the pad will cause the sound's tuning, attack, or decay to be 
determined by the current slider position. 

Here are some examples of uses of Note Variation: 

1 . The slider can control decay for a hi-hat sound. This would simulate 
the action of a drummer's hi-hat pedal, allowing a unique hi-hat decay 
time each time the pad is played. 

2. The slider can be assigned to tuning for a tom tom sound. By moving 
the slider while playing the tom pad, a wide range of tom tunings is 
possible. 

3. The slider can control a sound's attack time (the amount of time it 
takes to fade in). This is useful for adding subtle variations to a sound 
or producing special effects. 



How to Assign the Note Variation Siider 

To assign the Note Variation Slider to a pad and parameter, press the 
SOUNDS key, then 3. The following screen will appear: 



Page 19 



Chapter 2: The Basics 



=== Assign Note Var Slider (Pgm: 1) ===A 
Note : 64/A01-Sound_name 
Param: TUNING 

Low range: -120 High range: 60 



To assign the slider to a pad and parameter: 



1. Press the desired pad (the note number, pad number and sound 
name of the pad you pressed will appear in the Note field). 

2. Move the cursor to the Param field and select the desired parameter 
(TUNING, ATTACK, or DECAY). 

3. Press MAIN SCREEN to return to the Play/Record screen. 

4. Play the selected pad while moving the Note Variation slider. Each 
time the pad is played, the selected parameter (tuning, attack, or 
decay) will change according to the slider position. 



Here is additional information about the five fields: 

• The Pgm field: 

This is the active program number (1-8). The data in the Param field 
applies only to the program number selected here. 

• The Note field: 

This field contains the note number to which the slider is assigned (35- 

98). To change the assignment, press a pad. The note number to which 
the pad is assigned will instantly appear in the Note field, along with the 
pad number of the pad you pressed and the name of the sound currently 
assigned to the note number. Alternately, you can enter the desired note 
number by typing it then pressing ENTER. 

• The Param (parameter) field: 

This field determines which of the three possible parameters the slider 
will control. The three choices are: 

1. TUNING: 

If selected, the slider alters tuning. Slider values are added to 
the tuning settings used in the program and sound. 

2. DECAY: 

If selected, the slider alters envelope decay time. Slider 
values override the program's envelope decay setting. 

3. ATTACK: 

If selected, the slider alters envelope attack time. Slider 
values override the program's envelope attack setting. 

The contents of this field are unique for each of the 64 note numbers 
selected in the Note field above. 



Page 20 



Chapter 2: The Basics 



• The Low range and High range fields: 

These two fields control the range of the slider. The Low range field 
determines the parameter value that will be produced when the pad is hit 
while the slider is at the bottom of its travel; the High range field 
determines the parameter value that will be produced when the pad is hit 
while the slider is at the top of its travel. Any position in between 
produces a proportionate value between these two values. The type of 
data shown in these fields is determined by the parameter selected in 
the Param field. If TUNING is selected, these fields contain a signed 
tuning number (e.g., -120 to +60); if ATTACK or DECAY is selected, they 
contain a millisecond value (0-5000). 

The contents of this field are not stored within the program when it is 
saved; instead, they apply to all programs in memory and are stored in 
All Programs files. 



The AFTER key 

Note Variation information can be recorded into sequences. Each drum 
note in a sequence contains two pieces of data related to Note Variation: 

1 . The Note Variation Parameter: This identifies which parameter 
the Note Variation Data will affect (tuning, attack, or decay). 

2. The Note Variation Data: This is the actual tuning, attack, or 
decay information, representing the position of the slider 
when the note was recorded. 

Normally, the slider only affects new notes — it has no effect on notes 
played back from sequences. However, if the AFTER key is pressed 
(and the associated light goes on), the slider also overrides the Note 
Variation data of any drum notes playing back from sequences, but only 
drum notes that are assigned to the same note number (drum pad) and 
parameter currently selected in the ASSIGN key's screen. Further, if in 
Overdub mode while the AFTER key light is on, these changes will be 
recorded into the active track. 

To return to normal operation, press AFTER again and the light will go 
off. 



The 16 LEVELS key 

When the 16 Levels function is on, a single sound will play from all 16 
pads but each pad will produce a different value of either velocity, tuning, 
attack, or decay. 

To set the parameters and turn 16 Levels mode on, press the 16 
LEVELS key. The following screen will appear: 



Page 21 



Chapter 2: The Basics 



========== Assign '16 Levels' =========A 

Note : 64/A0 6-Sound_name 

Param:NOTE VAR (TUNING) Center pad: 13 



<Turn on, exit> 



The fields and soft keys are: 

• The Note field: 

This field is used to assign tine 16 Levels function to one of the 64 
possible note numbers (35-98). When 16 Levels mode is on, all 16 pads 
will play one sound but at 16 evenly spaced levels of either velocity, 
tuning, attack, or decay. Select a sound by pressing a pad. This will 
automatically select the note number that is currently assigned to the 
selected pad. For convenience, the sound name cun-ently assigned to 
the selected note number in the active program is displayed. 

• The Param field: 

This is a choice field with two choices: 

1. VELOCITY: 

If this option is selected, and 16 LEVELS mode is on, then the 
selected note number and sound will play from all 16 pads, 
but at 16 fixed velocity levels with the softest level on the 
lower leftmost pad and the loudest level on the upper 
rightmost pad. 

2. NOTE VAR: 

If this option is selected, and 16 LEVELS mode is on, then the 
selected note number and sound will play from all 16 pads, 

but at 16 fixed levels of tuning, attack or decay using the Note 
Variation data stored with each drum note in the sequence. 

• The Note Variation Parameter field (NOTE VAR (TUNING) in the 

screen example above): 

This field has no label and appears only if NOTE VAR is selected in 
the Param field. It is a choice field and is used to determine which of 
the three Note Variation parameters is active. The three choices are: 

1. (TUNING): 

If selected, the 16 pads play a single sound but at 16 
chromatic tunings. The tuning range is controlled by the 
Center pad field to the right. 

2. (DECAY): 

If selected, the 16 pads play a single sound but at 16 evenly 
spaced levels of envelope decay. The range of decay values 
is set in the Assign Note Variation screen (SOUNDS, option 
3). 

3. (ATTACK): 

If selected, the 16 pads play a single sound but at 16 evenly 
spaced levels of envelope attack. The range of attack values 
is set in the Assign Note Variation screen (SOUNDS, option 
3). 



Page 22 



Chapter 2: The Basics 



• The Center pad field: 

This field only appears if the Param field is set to NOTE VAR and the 
Note Variation Parameter field is set to (TUNING). It is used to set the 
tuning range of the 16 pads by selecting which of the 16 pads will play 
the sound with no tuning change. Regardless of this center pad, 
higher numbered pads play higher chromatic tunings and lower 
numbered pads play lower chromatic tunings. In order to limit the 
entire tuning range of the 16 pads to within +6 and -12 semitones (the 
Note Variation tuning range), only pads 10 through 13 can be 
selected. For example, if pad 13 is selected, the tuning range is from - 
120 (-12 semitones at pad 1 ) through 0 (no tuning change at pad 1 3) 
to +30 (+3 semitones at pad 16). 



To turn the 16 Levels function on: 

1 . Press the 16 LEVELS key. The 16 Levels screen will appear. 

2. Press the pad of the drum you want to use. The Note field will 
immediately show the note number assigned to that pad 
along with the pad number pressed and the currently 
assigned sound name. 

3. Set the Param field to the desired parameter, and, if NOTE 
VAR is selected, also set the Note Variation Parameter field 
to the right. 

4. Press the <Turn on, exit> soft key. This will turn the light 
above the 16 LEVELS key on and cause the Play/Record 
screen to be displayed. Now the sound you selected will play 
from all 16 pads, but at 16 fixed levels of the parameter you 
selected. 



To turn the 16 Levels function off: 

Press the 16 LEVELS key again. The light will go out, indicating that 
normal pad function has returned. 



Page 23 



Chapter 3: 
Recording 
Sequences 



Chapter 3: Recording Sequences 



How Sequences are Organized 



A sequence can be thought of as a segment of multitrack tape of 

variable length. Depending on tine sequence contents, it could be a two- 
bar repeating drum pattern, an eight-bar verse, or an entire 200-bar 
multitrack composition with time signature and tempo changes. The 
MPC60 holds 99 sequences in memory at one time. Only one sequence 
can play at one time. 

Within each of the 99 sequences are 99 tracks that contain the actual 
IVIIDI events. These can be thought of as the tracks on a multitrack tape 
recorder — they each contain a specific instrument or piece of the total 
arrangement, but they all play simultaneously. For example, track 1 
could be drums, track 2 percussion, track 3 bass guitar, track 4 piano, 
track 5 horns, track 6 more horns, etc. Each track can be assigned as a 
Drum track or a MIDI track, but not both. MIDI tracks contain normal 
MIDI data recorded from the MIDI input and played out through the MIDI 
output. Drum tracks are the same as MIDI tracks except for the following: 

1 . The output of the track plays to the internal drum sound 
generator. 

2. You can record drum notes into the track using the front panel 
pads. 

3. In sequence editing screens, note events in drum tracks are 
visually identified and selected not by note number only (as 
are MIDI tracks), but also by the pad number and sound 
name currently assigned to the displayed note number. 

4. Drum tracks are not affected by the Transpose function. 

In order for the sequencer to play external synthesizers, it must send its 
notes out through MIDI on one of the 64 output MIDI channels (16 
channels for each of the 4 MIDI output jacks). 



Ticks and Bar.Beat.Tick fields 

The timing resolution of the sequencer is 96 parts per quarter note (96 
ppq). Each one of these divisions is called a tick. 

In many of the sequence editing screens it is necessary to enter the start 
and end of the region to be edited. This is done using a three-part field, 
called a bar.beat.tick field, containing a bar number, beat number, and 
tick number. (A beat is the timing value of the lower half of the time 
signature. For example, in 4/4 time, a beat is one quarter note.) In 
bar.beat.tick fields, you enter the three parts separated by decimal points 
(.), followed by ENTER. If you only want to enter the bar number, type it 
followed by ENTER — the beat and tick portions will be reset to the start 
of the bar. 



Page 26 



Chapter 3: Recording Sequences 



The MAIN SCREEN Key & Play/Record Screen 



When the MPC60 is first powered on, the LCD screen shows the 
following contents: 



============== Play/Record ============A 

Seq: 1- (unused) BPM: 120.0 (SEQ) 

Sig: 4/ 4 Bars: 0 Loop : TO BAR 1 
============== Track Data ============== 

Trk: 1- (unused) Type: DRUM On: YES 

Chn:OFF- (of f ) & OFF Vel%:100 Pgm:OFF 

===== Now: 001 . 01 . 00 (00:00:00:00) ====== 

<Tk on/off> <Solo=OFF> <Track-> <Track+> 



This is called the Play/Record screen. It is the main operating screen of 

the MPC60 and most playing and recording of sequences is done while 
this screen is showing. To return to this screen at any time, press the 
IVIAIN SCREEN key. The following is an explanation of each of the data 
fields and soft keys contained in this screen: 



• The title line (===== Play/Record ====A) : 

The title line not only displays the title of this screen but also indicates 
whether Record Ready status is enabled or disabled by appearing in one 
of two views: 

1. Record disabled: 



========== Play/Record ===========A 

This is the normal mode for sequence playing. In this mode, it is 
impossible to "punch in" to Record or Overdub mode while 
playing the sequence. However, in this mode it is possible to 
change sequences while playing. To do this, simply select a 
new sequence while playing using the numeric keypad. When 
the previously selected sequence finishes, the newly selected 
one begins playing. This feature is very useful for creating the 
structure of a song in real time while the IVIPC60 is playing. 

COMMENT: If you use the data entry knob to select a 
new sequence while playing, only the next higher- 
numbered or next lower-numbered sequence can be 
selected. If you want to select a sequence whose 
number is not one higher or lower, you must use the 
numeric keypad (remember to press ENTER after you 
have entered the new sequence number). 

2. Record ready: 



Page 27 



Chapter 3: Recording Sequences 



==== Play/Record (Record Ready) ==A 

In this mode, it is possible to "punch in" to Record or 
Overdub mode while playing the sequence. To punch in: 
while playing a sequence, hold both PLAY and either RECORD 
or OVERDUB simultaneously— the MPC60 will immediately 
enter either Record or Overdub mode. In this mode it is 
impossible to change sequences while playing. 

COMMENT: The letter at the right end of the title line indicates 
which pad bank (A-D) is active. 

• The Sequence Number field (Seq: 1_-(unused) in the example screen): 
This field displays the active sequence number, from 1 to 99. This is the 
sequence that will play when either PLAY START or PLAY is pressed. If 

you change the sequence number while a sequence is playing, the new 
sequence will start playing when the current sequence finishes playing. 

COMMENT: If you select a new sequence number while playing 
by using the data entry knob, only the next higher or next lower 
sequence can be selected. To select other sequences while 
playing, use the numeric keypad. 

• The Sequence Name field (Seq: 1 - (unused) in the example screen): 
This is the 16-character name for the active sequence. To change the 
sequence name, move the cursor to this field and turn the data entry 
knob one step in either direction. This will cause the keys that have 
alphabet letters printed above them to function as alphabet entry keys. 
To indicate that alphabet mode is active, the cursor changes from the 
normal blinking block to a blinking underline. Now change the name by 
typing the letters printed above the keys. The CURSOR LEFT and 
CURSOR RIGHT keys do not type letters, but allow you to move the 
cursor left or right within the name. For punctuation, use the data entry 
knob. When finished, press ENTER and the cursor will return to a 
blinking block at the beginning of the field, indicating that the alpha keys 
have retumed to their normal functions. To discard any changes and 
retum to the old name before ENTER is pressed, press and release 
HELP. 



• The Tempo Display Mode field (BPM: 120.0 (SEQ) in the example 

screen): 

This is a choice field with two options: 

1 . BPM: The tempo is displayed in Beats Per Minute with one 
digit to the right of the decimal point. 

2. FPB: The tempo is displayed in Frames Per Beat with one 
digit to the right of the decimal point indicating 1/8s of a 
frame. If this option is selected, the Frames field (in the 
Tempo/Sync screen) should be set to the desired frame rate. 



Page 28 



Chapter 3: Recording Sequences 



• The Active Tempo field (BPM: 120.0 (SEQ) in the above example): 
This is the active playing tempo. If the sequence contains tempo 
changes, this shows the active tempo at the current sequence position 
displayed in tlie Now field. 

• The Tempo Source field (BPM:120.0 (SEQ) in the above example): 
This is a choice field with two options: 

1. SEQ (sequence): Within each sequence is a unique tempo 
setting. If this option is selected, the sequence's unique 
tempo is used in the Active Tempo field. In this case, 
whenever the active sequence number is changed, the newly 
selected sequence's tempo immediately appears in the Active 
Tempo field. When playing sequences, this is useful if you 
want each newly selected sequence to play at its own preset 
tempo. The sequence's tempo is saved to disk when a 
sequence is saved. 

2. MAS (master): The master tempo is a single tempo setting 
that applies to all sequences and songs. When playing 
sequences this is useful if you always want each newly 
selected sequence to play at the same tempo. This tempo 
setting is not saved in the sequence file. 

• The Time Signature field (Sig: 4/4 in the above example): 

This field shows the time signature of the current bar (displayed in the 
Now field) of the active sequence. It is for display only and cannot be 
changed. For information on how to change the time signature of a bar 
or to insert time signature changes, see the "Editing Sequences" 
chapter of this manual. 

• The Bars field: 

This shows the total number of bars in the active sequence. It is for 
display only and cannot be changed. 



• The Loop field: 

This is a choice field with two options: 

1. QFF: 

If this option is selected, the sequence stops playing when it 
reaches its end. However, if in Record mode, recording 
continues past the end, adding one measure (with the time 
signature of the last bar) onto the end of the sequence as 
each new bar is entered, until the sequence is stopped. 

2. TO BAR1: 

If this option is selected, when the sequence plays to the end, 
it immediately loops back to the bar number displayed to the 
right of the word BAR. To set the number of the bar to which 
the sequence loops back, move the cursor to the field to the 
right of the word BAR and enter the new number. 

COMMENT: If the bar to loop to is bar number 1 and the 
sequence is in Record mode, the MPC60 will automatically 



Page 29 



Chapter 3: Recording Sequences 



switch from Record to Overdub mode at the moment the 
sequence loops bacl< — this will prevent accidental erasure of 
any notes just recorded. In the event that the bar to loop to is 
bar number 2 or higher and the sequence is in Record or 
Overdub mode the MPC60 will automatically switch to Play 
mode at the moment the sequence loops back to the 
specified bar 



The Track Data area (lines 4-6): 

• The Active Traci< field (Trl<: l-(unused) in the example screen): 
This field displays the active track numlDer within the sequence. The 
active track is the track that, when Record or Overdub mode is entered, 
will be recorded into from the MIDI keyboard or pads. Also, if the Soft 
thru field is on (described in the "MIDI Functions" chapter of this manual) 
and the pads or MIDI keyboard is played, the played notes will be sent 
out over MIDI in real time using the active track's MIDI channel and port 
assignments. Only one track can be active at a time. 

• The Track Name field (Trk: 1 - (unused) in the example screen) 
This field has no on-screen title, but is the 1 6-character name of the 
active track, and is located directly to the right of the active track number. 
It is changed in the same manner as the sequence name, detailed 
above. 



• The Type field: 

This is a choice field with two options — MIDI and DRUM: 

1 . MIDI: Select this option if you want to record normal non-drum 
MIDI data from an external MIDI keyboard into the selected 
track. MIDI tracks do not use the internal sound generator or 

pads. 

2. DRUM: Select this option if you want to record drum data into 
the selected track. Drum tracks are the same as MIDI tracks 
except for the following: 

A. The output of the track plays the internal drum sound 
generator. 

B. You can record drum notes into the track using the 

front panel pads. 

C. In sequence editing screens, note events in drum 
tracks are visually identified and selected not by note 
number only (as are MIDI tracks), but also by the pad 
number and sound name currently assigned to the 
displayed note number. 

D. Drum tracks are not affected by the Transpose 
function. 

• The Track On/Off field (On: YES in the example screen): 

This choice field turns the output of the active track on (YES) or off (NO). 
Pressing SOFT KEY 1 toggles the field's state between YES and NO. 



Page 30 



Chapter 3: Recording Sequences 



• The MIDI Channel/Port fields (Chn:OFF-(off) in the example screen): 
There are actually two fields here, which together are used to determine 
which MIDI channel and MIDI output port the active track will output its 
data to. The to fields are: 

1. The MIDI Channel field (Chn:JLA-(off)): 

This field determines which of the 16 MIDI channels the 
active track will play through. If you don't want the track to 
play through any MIDI channels, select 0 and the word OFF 
will appear. 

2. The MIDI Port field {Chn:.1A-(off)): 

This choice field determines which of the four MIDI output 
ports (A, B, C, or D) the active track will play through. (On 
earlier units, outputs A-D are labeled 1-4 on the back panel.) 
If OFF is selected in the MIDI channel field to the left, this 
field can't be seen. 

COMMENT: If OFF is displayed in this field (no MIDI output 
assignment) and you want to select a MIDI channel or port, first 
move the cursor to the letter "O" of OFF and turn the data entry 
knob one step to the right. 

• The MIDI Channel/Port Name field (Chn:OFF-(off) in the example 
screen): 

This is the eight-character name for the currently selected MIDI output 
channel/port combination. This would commonly contain the name of the 
synthesizer that is being played from the displayed MIDI channel/port 
combination. There are 64 names — one for each of the 64 output MIDI 
channel/port combinations. The name is changed in exactly the same 
way as the sequence name field. 

COMMENT: These 64 names are intended to be used to identify 
the MIDI devices that are externally connected — not the data 
contained in the track. For this reason, they are not saved within 
sequence files or ALL files. They are, however, retained in 
memory after power is removed and are also saved within 
Parameter files. 

• The Auxiliary MIDI Channel/Port fields (& OFF in the example screen): 
These two fields have exactly the same function and operation as the 
MIDI Channel/Port fields shown to the left. These two fields allow the 
active track to play simultaneously through an additional channel/port 
combination. If no additional output channel/port is desired, select OFF 
here. 

• The Velocity% field (Vel%: 10Q in the example screen): 

This is an overall output volume control for the active track. However, 
unlike a normal volume control, this function actually scales the velocities 
of all notes that play from the track in real time, acting as a real-time 
dynamics control. The range is from 0 to 200%. Values from 0 to 99 
reduce velocities; values from 101 to 200 increase them. Select 100 for 
no effect. 

• The Program Number field (Pgm:OFF ): 

This field permits a MIDI program number (1-128) to be assigned to the 
active track. To select no program assignment for the active track, enter 



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Chapter 3: Recording Sequences 



a 0 in this field and OFF will be displayed. Whenever a new sequence is 
selected, if any of the sequence's tracks contain program number 
assignments, those program numbers will be immediately sent out over 
tlie track's assigned MIDI channel/port (not the auxiliary MIDI 
channel/port) to the external synthesizer, causing it to change to the 
assigned program number. This way, all external synthesizers are 
immediately changed to the correct program numbers merely by 
selecting the sequence. If a track's Type field is set to DRUM, the 
assigned program number will change the internal sound generator's 
active program number. 

COMMENT: It is also possible to record MIDI program change 
events at any location within a track, either in real time or in Step 
Edit mode. (See the "Step Edit" section in the "Editing 
Sequences" chapter of this manual for more details about this.) It 
is important to note that if one of these program change events 
is inserted mid-sequence and the portion of the sequence 
containing the change is played (causing the external 
synthesizer to change to the new program), the original program 
number (as set up in the Program Number field) will not be re- 
sent over MIDI until the sequence is reselected in the Sequence 
Number field. Simply restarting the sequence will not implement 
the program change. If the MPC60 did send out all assigned 
program numbers whenever PLAY START were pressed, this 
problem would be corrected, but there would also be a brief 
delay at the start of the sequence because the external 
synthesizers must take time to change their program data. If you 
do want a program change to be sent out whenever PLAY 
START is pressed, it is better to insert a MIDI Program Change 
event at the start of the track, using Step Edit. 

• The Now field (Now: QQ1.01.00 ( 00:00:00:00 ) in the example screen): 
This field displays the current position within the sequence. The left side 
of this field shows the current position in musical terms — as a three-part 
number separated by decimal points. The first part is the bar number; 
the second is the beat number within the bar (the beat is equal to the 
denominator of the time signature); and the third is the tick number 
within the beat (there are 96 ticks to a quarter note). Bars and beats start 
at 1 ; ticks start at 0. 

To the right of the above-described bar.beat.tick number is another four- 
part number, displayed in parentheses. This field shows the current 
position of the sequence as a function of elapsed time from the 
beginning of the sequence, in hours, minutes, seconds, and frames. 
However, the number displayed when the sequence is set to the start is 
not necessarily 00:00:00:00, but rather is equal to the SMPTE start time. 
SMPTE operation is described in chapter 10, "Syncing to Tape and 
Other Devices". 

This field is for display only and cannot be edited directly with the cursor. 
It is normally changed by using the REWIND, FAST FORWARD and 
LOCATE keys, described in the "Play/Record Keys" section of this 
chapter. 



The four soft keys are: 



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Chapter 3: Recording Sequences 



• The <Tk on/off> soft key: 

Pressing this soft key toggles the Track On/Off field between YES and 
NO. 

• The <Solo=OFF>soft key: 

Pressing this soft key turns solo mode ON or OFF. If set to ON, only the 
active track is heard and all other tracks are temporarily muted. The text 
of the soft key indicates whether solo mode is ON or OFF. 

• The <Track-> and <Track+> soft keys: 

These soft keys decrement or increment the active track number by one. 



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Chapter 3: Recording Sequences 



The Play/Record Keys 



These ten keys operate similarly to the transport keys on a tape 
recorder, with some very useful additions: 



• The PLAY START key: 

This key causes the active sequence to begin playing from the start of 
bar1. 

• The PLAY key: 

This key causes the sequence to begin playing from the current position 
displayed in the Now field in the Play/Record screen. 

• The STOP key: 

This key causes the sequence to stop playing. 

• The OVERDUE key: 

This key, when held down while PLAY is pressed, causes Overdub 
mode to be entered, in which new notes can be recorded into the active 
track without erasing existing notes. While Overdub mode is active, the 
light above the OVERDUB key is on. 

It is also possible to punch-in to Overdub mode while playing. To do this: 

1. The IVIPC60 must be in Record Ready mode. (The top line of 
the Play/Record screen must display the words Play/Record 

(Record ready).) If not, simply press and release the 
RECORD or OVERDUB key once while the sequence is 
stopped. 

2. While the sequence is playing, simultaneously press the 

OVERDUB and PLAY keys. Overdub mode is now active, 
indicated by the light above the OVERDUB key. 

To punch-out of Overdub mode, simply press the OVERDUB key once, 
and the light above the OVERDUB key will turn off. 

COMMENT: If Overdub mode is entered wliile tlie sequence is 
set to loop to a higher-numbered bar than bar numberl, Overdub 
mode will automatically be turned off at the moment the 
sequence reaches the end and starts to loop. 

• The RECORD key: 

This key, when held down while PLAY is pressed, causes Record mode 
to be entered, in which new notes can be recorded into the active track 
while existing notes are erased, just as with a tape recorder. While 
Record mode is active, the light above the RECORD key is on. 

It is also possible to punch-in to Record mode while playing. To do this: 

1 . The IVIPCeO must be in Record Ready mode. (The top line of 
the Play/Record screen must display the words Play/Record 



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Chapter 3: Recording Sequences 



(Record ready).) If not, simply press and release the 
RECORD or OVERDUE key once while the sequence is 
stopped. 

2. While the sequence is playing, simultaneously press the 
RECORD and PLAY keys. Record mode is now active, as 
indicated by the light above the RECORD key. 

To punch-out of Record mode, simply press the RECORD key once, and 
the light above the RECORD key will turn off. 

COMMENT: If Record mode is entered while the sequence is set 
to loop to bar numberl (or a portion of the sequence is looped 
with the Edit Loop function), Record mode automatically 
switches to Overdub mode at the moment the sequence reaches 
the end and starts to loop. This prevents accidental erasure of 
any data that were recorded on the previous pass through the 
loop. If however, Record mode is entered while the sequence is 
set to loop to a higher-numbered bar than bar 1, Record mode 
will automatically be turned off at the moment the sequence 
reaches the end and starts to loop. 

COMMENT: If an empty sequence is selected (the sequence 
name field shows "unused"), and either RECORD or OVERDUB 
is pressed, the sequence will instantly be initialized using the 
settings in the Initialize Sequence screen. This function is 
normally accessed by pressing the ERASE key and selecting 
<lnitialize> (soft key 2). 

• The REWIND [«] and FAST FORWARD [»] keys: 

Use these two keys to change the current position within the sequence 
to either the previous or next bar boundary. The actions of these keys 
repeat when they are held. 

• The REWIND [<] and FAST FORWARD [>] keys: 

Use these two keys to move the current position within the sequence to 
either the previous or next note boundary, as determined by the value in 
the Note Value field of the Timing Correct screen (normally set to 1/16 
NOTE). To change the amount of movement, simply change the setting 
in this data field. The actions of these keys repeat when they are held. 

While the Step Edit function is active, it is possible to set these keys to 
an alternate function — to search to the previous or next event of a 
specific type within the track. To learn how to do this, see the "Step Edit 
Options" section in the "Editing Sequences" chapter of this manual. 

• The LOCATE key: 

This key is used to move instantly to a specific position within the active 
sequence. When pressed, the following screen is displayed: 



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Chapter 3: Recording Sequences 



Locate 



■A 



Hit sof tkeys or LOCATE to go to markers : 



===== Now: 001 . 01 . 00 (00:00:00:00) ====== 

<Goto A> <Goto B> <Goto C> <Load'Now'> 



There are three sequence position markers, labeled A, B, and C. 
Pressing SOFT KEY 1 , 2 ,or 3 causes the MPC60 to move immediately 
to the location shown in either marker A, B, or C, respectively, and the 
Play/Record screen to be redisplayed. Pressing SOFT KEY 4, 
<Load'Now'>, causes the contents of the Now field to be loaded into the 
marker field that currently contains the cursor. To load any of the three 
markers, move the cursor to it and enter the desired bar numbers in the 
bar.beat.tick format (separated by decimal points), using the numeric 
keypad. If you only want to enter the bar number, type it, followed by 
ENTER, and the beat and tick numbers will be reset to 01 .00 
automatically. 

There is a faster way to use locate. While the Locate screen is showing, 
press the LOCATE key again, and the IVIPCBO will immediately move to 
the sequence location of the marker (A, B, or C) where the cursor is 
currently positioned, exactly as if the SOFT KEY for that marker (SOFT 
KEY 1, 2, or 3) had been pressed. Therefore, from the Play/Record 
screen, "double-clicking" LOCATE will instantly move to location A, B, or 
C, depending on where the cursor was last positioned in the Locate 



Marker A 
Marker B 
Marker C 



001.01.00 
001 .01.00 
001.01.00 



screen. 



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Chapter 3: Recording Sequences 



Sequence Recording Example 1: A Looped Drum 
Pattern 

The MPC60 is both a linear-type sequencer and a pattern-oriented 
sequencer. The following examples use short, looped sequences and 
are therefore examples of pattern-oriented recording. To record linearly, 
simply set the Loop field (in the Play/Record screen) to OFF. Then, the 
sequence length will automatically increase as you record past the 
existing end. See the description above of the Loop field to learn more 
about this. 

The following is a step-by-step example of how to record a repeating 
two-bar drum sequence: 

1 . Load some sounds into sound memory by loading a program file from 

one of the sound disks included with your IVIPCGO. If you don't know 
how to do this, see the chapter "Saving To and Loading From Disk". 

2. Press IVIAIN SCREEN to view the Play/Record screen. 

3. IVIove the cursor to the Seq field and select 1 (ENTER) or any other 
empty sequence. 

4. The upper line of the screen should display: 



Play/Record (Record ready) =====A 



If not, press either the RECORD or OVERDUE keys once. This will 
make the current sequence ready for recording. 

5. Set the Trk field to 1 and the Type field to DRUIVI. 

6. While holding RECORD, press PLAY START. The RECORD and 
PLAY lights should go on, and the metronome should be heard 
through the stereo outputs. It will also be heard at the dedicated 
metronome output jack on the back panel. The metronome will play 
on 1/4-notes, with a louder click at the start of each bar. Also, the 
Now display will be changing constantly to reflect the current position 
within the sequence. If you want to adjust the tempo, move the cursor 
to the Active Tempo field (to the right of the word BPIVI in the upper 
right corner) and enter the desired tempo, (continued...) 



7. Start recording your drum pattern by playing the drum pads in time to 

the metronome. Since no specific format of time signature or number 
of bars has been entered, the sequence format defaults to two bars of 
4/4 time signature. When the two-bar pattern loops back to the start, 
Record mode switches automatically to Overdub mode to avoid 



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Chapter 3: Recording Sequences 



erasing your new notes. The notes you played will be heard at the 
position they were recorded, except that the Timing Correct function 
has automatically moved all of your notes to the nearest 1/16-note. 
(This can be defeated, as explained in "The TIMING CORRECT Key" 
section, later in this chapter.) 

8. Press STOP. 

COMMENT: To initialize a sequence to a different time signature 
or number of bars, press ERASE and select <lnitialize>. 

If you don't think your pattern sounds as good as you intended, you may 
need some practice in following the metronome. If you want to erase 
what you've just recorded and start again, simply repeat steps 6 through 
8 above. 



To erase a particular drum from your new sequence 

1 . Press the ERASE key. The following screen will appear: 



================= Erase ===============a 

Seqnc: 1-SEQOl 

Track: 1-TRKOl (0 = all) 

Ticks : 001 . 01 . 00-003 .01.00 
Erase: ALL EVENTS 

Notes :ALL (Hit pads) 



<Do it> <Initialize><Delete><Delete All> 



2. To select a particular drum to erase, press the drum pad that was 

used to record its notes. Immediately, the Notes field will display the 
note number (35-98), pad number, and currently assigned sound for 
the selected pad. To erase additional notes, continue pressing pads. 
The Notes field will always display the last pad pressed, and the total 
number of pads selected is displayed on the right side of the same 
line. 

3. Press Soft key 1 : <Do it>. When you press this soft key, all notes 

assigned to the note number(s) you selected will be erased 
throughout the track, after which the Play/Record screen will be 
displayed. 

4. Now, enter Overdub mode by holding OVERDUB and PLAY START 

simultaneously and re-record that pad into your track. (Unlike Record 
mode, which erases existing notes as you record new notes, Overdub 
mode merges the new notes into the existing notes.) 

To hear your new drum pattern, press STOP then PLAY START. 



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Chapter 3: Recording Sequences 



Sequence Recording Example 2: A Multitrack 
Sequence 

The following is a step-by-step example of recording a multitrack 
sequence with a format of 4 bars of 4/4 time, containing the following 
tracks: 

Track 1: Drums 
Track 2: Percussion 
Track 3: Bass 
Track 4: Piano 



First, set up the instruments: 

1. Using the connection diagram in the "Hooking Up Your System" 
section (in the "Basics" chapter) as a guideline, connect the MIDI Out 
connector of a MIDI keyboard to MIDI Input 1 of the MPC60 and 
connect MIDI Output A of the MPC60 to a multitimbral synthesizer 
that is set to play both bass and piano sounds simultaneously. 
(Alternately, you could connect two synthesizers in a daisy chain, with 
the MIDI Thru connector of the first synthesizer connecting to the 
MIDI input of the second.) 

2. Set up the synthesizer(s) so that a bass sound plays from MIDI 
channel 1Aand a piano sound plays from MIDI channel 2A. If you are 
using a single integrated keyboard, set Local Control on your 
keyboard to OFF during this tutorial. 

3. If no sounds are loaded into sound memory, load a program file from 
disk now. If you don't know how to do this, see the chapter "Saving To 
and Loading From Disk". 

4. The Play/Record screen should be showing. If not, press MAIN 
SCREEN. 

5. The upper line of the screen should display Play/Record (Record 
ready). If not, press either the RECORD or OVERDUB key once. This 
will make the current sequence ready for recording. 



Next, initialize the sequence to 4 bars of 4/4 time: 

1 . Move the cursor to the Seq field and select 2 (ENTER) or any other 
sequence that is currently empty. 

2. Press the ERASE key, then select SOFT KEY 2 (<lnitialize>). The 
following screen will appear: 



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Chapter 3: Recording Sequences 



========== Initialize Sequence ========A 

Select sequence: 2- (unused) 

===== General ===== ==== Track: 1 ==== 

Bars: 2 Sig: 4/ 4 Status : UNUSED 
BPM:12 0.0 (SEQ) Type: DRUM Pgm:OFF 

Loop: TO BAR 1 Chn:OFF & OFF 



<Do it> <Track-> <Track+> 



4. Enter 4 in the Bars field then press <Do it>. The Play/Record screen 
will reappear, showing that the sequence has been initialized to 4 
bars of 4/4. 

COMMENT: Whenever you select an empty sequence followed 
by pressing either RECORD or OVERDUE, the sequence will be 
initialized using the settings in this screen. Now that you have 
changed these settings to 4 bars of 4/4, looped, whenever you 
now select an empty sequence in the Play/Record screen and 
press either RECORD or OVERDUE, the sequence will be 
initialized instantly to 4 bars of 4/4, looped, instead of the factory 
default of 2 bars of 4/4, looped. These settings, as well as the 
contents of many other data fields in the MPC60, are 
remembered when the power is turned off, so this new default 
will remain in effect until changed. 



Now, record the drums on track 1 : 

1 . Move the cursor to the Trk field and select 1 (Enter) to make track 
number 1 active. 

2. Set the Type field to DRUM. 

3. While holding RECORD, press PLAY START. The RECORD and 
PLAY keys' lights should go on, and the metronome should be heard 
through the stereo outputs. The metronome will play on 1/4-notes, 
with a louder sound at the start of each bar. Also, the Now field will be 
changing constantly to reflect the current sequence position. 

4. Record the bass drum and snare drum parts by playing the pads 
labeled with those names. Notice that when the sequence loops back 
to bar 1, Record mode automatically changes to Overdub mode so 
that the new part won't get erased. Notice also that every time the 
four-bar pattern loops back to the start, any drums recorded on the 
last pass will be heard at the position they were recorded, except that 
your notes will have been moved to the nearest value specified in the 
Timing Correct screen (in this case, 1/16-note). 

5. Without stopping the sequence, record a 1/16-note hi-hat part by 
simultaneously holding the TIMING CORRECT key and the HIHAT 
pad, varying the pressure on the pad as the sequence plays. After 
four bars, release both the key and the pad. Notice that hi-hats have 
now been recorded on all 1/16-notes. This feature is called note 



Page 40 



Chapter 3: Recording Sequences 



repeat and is described further in the "Timing Correct" section, later in 
this chapter. If at any time you want to erase what you've recorded 
and start over, go back to step 3. 

5. If you accidentally played one or two wrong notes, you can erase them 
without affecting any other notes by following these steps: 

A) While still in Overdub mode, hold down the ERASE key. 

B) Just before the wrong notes are about to play, hold that 
drum's pad down, then quickly release it as soon as the 
wrong notes have passed. 

C) Release the ERASE key. The wrong notes have now been 
permanently erased from the sequence. 

6. Press STOP. 



Next, overdub the percussion part on track 2: 

1 . With the Play/Record screen showing, move the cursor to the Trk field 

and select 2. 

2. Set the Type field to DRUIVl. 

3. Enter Record mode again by holding RECORD and pressing PLAY 
START. You will hear the drum part you just recorded on track 1 . 
Don't worry about erasing it: since track 2 is now the active track, all 
recording and erasing occurs only on track 2. 

4. Record the percussion part by playing pads assigned to percussion 
instruments. (Try Pad Bank B.) Keep adding drums until your 
percussion part is complete. 

5. If any mistakes were made, use either of the two erase methods 
described above. 



Next, overdub the bass part on track 3: 

1 . With the Play/Record screen showing, move the cursor to the Trk field 
and select 3 to make track 3 active. 

2. Set the Type field to IVIIDI, indicating that this track will not play the 
internal drum sounds. 

3. Set the Chn field to 1A, indicating that track 3 will play through IVIIDI 
channel 1 and MIDI output port A. The Chn field is actually two 
fields — move the cursor to the position indicated by the underline 
below and select 1 : 

Chn:OFF becomes— > Chn:_1A 

4. If you play the IVIIDI keyboard now, the synthesizer that is set to 
receive on IVIIDI channel 1 should play a bass sound. If not, check the 
previous steps and your IVIIDI hookup. 



Page 41 



Chapter 3: Recording Sequences 



5. Press the COUNT IN key — the light will go on. This will cause the 
metronome to play one bar before the sequence plays to cue you to 
start playing. By default, the count in will only play before you start 
recording or overdubbing but not before playing. This can be changed 
by pressing the OTHER key and changing the setting of the Count in 
field in the screen that appears. 

6. Enter RECORD MODE by holding RECORD and pressing PLAY 
START. 

7. Once the COUNT IN bar has passed, record your bass part in time to 
the drums and percussion parts. 

8. Press the COUNT IN key again to turn it off. 

9. If you make a mistake while recording, you can correct it by punching 
in the new note: 

A) Press the REWIND keys [<] or [«] until the Now field shows 
a location about one bar before the mistake. 

B) Press PLAY (not PLAY START). The sequence will start 
playing from the position shown in the Now field. 

C) Just before the wrong note plays, press RECORD and PLAY 
simultaneously to enter Record mode (in which existing notes 
are erased while new notes are recorded) then play the 
correct note. You can now either punch out by pressing 
RECORD again or continue recording from that point. Don't 
worry: when the sequence loops back to bar 1 , it will 
automatically switch from Record to Overdub mode so that 
those notes in the earlier part of the sequence won't be 
erased. 



Now, overdub the piano part on track 4: 

1 . Move the cursor to the Trk field and select 4 to make track 4 active. 

2. Set the Type field to MIDI, so that this track will not play the internal 
drum sounds. 

3. Set the Chn field to 2A, indicating that track 4 will play through MIDI 

channel 2 and MIDI output port A. 

4. If you play the MIDI keyboard now, the synthesizer that is set to 
receive on MIDI channel 2 and port A should play a piano sound. 

5. Enter Record mode by holding RECORD and pressing PLAY START. 

6. Record your piano part in time to the drum, percussion and bass. 

7. Press STOP. 



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Chapter 3: Recording Sequences 



The TIMING CORRECT Key: Correcting Timing 
Errors, Swing Timing 

The MPC60 corrects timing errors made as you are recording by moving 
notes to the nearest perfect timing location. For example, if the timing 
correct function is set to 1/16-notes, then all notes are moved to the 
nearest perfect 1/16-note. The result is that all recorded notes play back 
as perfectly even 1/16-notes. It is also possible to correct the timing of 
notes after they have been recorded. 

To inspect or change the timing correction settings, press TIMING 
CORRECT while the MPC60 is not playing. The following screen will 
appear: 



====== Timing Correct / Step Size =====A 

Note value: 1/16 NOTE Swing%:50 
Shift timing: LATER Shift amount: 0 

========= Move Existing Notes ========== 

Track: 1- (unused) 

Ticks: 001. 01. 00-001. 01. 00 

Notes: ALL (Hit pads) 

<Move existing> 



This screen presents various parameters relevant to the timing correct 
function. A description of each of the fields follows: 

• The Note value field: 

Timing correction works by moving your recorded notes to a preset note 
timing value. This field is used to select that note value. The options are: 

1 .1/8 NOTE: All notes are moved to the nearest 1/8-note 
2.1/8 TRPLT: All notes are moved to the nearest 1/8-note triplet 
3.1/16 NOTE: All notes are moved to the nearest 1/16-note 
4.1/16 TRPLT: All notes are moved to the nearest 1/16-note 
triplet 

5.1/32 NOTE: All notes are moved to the nearest 1/32-note 

6. 1/32 TRPLT: All notes are moved to the nearest 1/32-note 
triplet 

7. OFF(1/384): No timing correction — in this setting, the highest 
resolution of the MPC60 is used — 96 divisions per 1/4-note. 

This value also affects two other functions in the MPC60: 

1 . It sets the Note Repeat timing value, described later in this 
chapter. 

2. It sets the amount by which the current sequence position will 
change when either the REWIND [<] or FAST FORWARD [>] 
key is pressed. 



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Chapter 3: Recording Sequences 



• The Swing% field: 

This field only appears if the Note Value field is set to either 1/1 6- or 1/8- 
notes. The swing feature is a variation of timing correction. Whereas 
normal timing correction moves your notes to perfect 1/16- or 1/8-note 
intervals, the swing feature moves your notes to swing-timing intervals. 
The amount of swing is measured as a percentage of time given to the 
first note in each pair of 1/16- or 1/8-notes. The range of values is from 
50% to 75%. For example: 

• A swing setting of 50% gives perfectly even timing with no 
swing effect; the first and second notes of each pair of 1/16- or 
1/8-notes have equal (50%) timing. 

• A swing setting of 66% indicates a technically perfect swing; 
the first note of each pair of 1/8 or 1/16 notes has a timing value 
of twice that of the second note, giving the effect of 1/16- or 1/8- 
note triplets where the middle note of each triplet is silent. 

• A swing setting of 75% is the highest swing setting; the first 
note of each pair of 1/8 or 1/16 notes has a timing value of three 
times that of the second note. This creates a very exaggerated 
swing timing. 

A very important use of the swing feature is to add a human rhythm feel 
to the timing of your music. Here are a couple of useful settings to 
experiment with: 

• Note Value = 1/16, Swing = 54%, Tempo = 100 BPIVI: 

While not enough swing for a true swing feel, this small amount 
of swing timing removes the stiffness from perfect 1/16-note 
timing and is especially useful on drum sequences using 1/16- 
note hi-hats. 

• Note Value = 1/16, Swing = 62%, Tempo = 100 BPIVI: 

This creates an 1/16-note swing feel that could be described as 
more relaxed than a perfect triplet swing (66%). 

As with timing correction, swing moves your notes in real time as they 
are recorded into the sequence, so your notes are instantly played back 
with the specified shift. Also, as with timing correction, this effect can be 
used on existing sequence data by using SOFT KEY 1 (<l\/love 
existing>). 

• The Shift timing and Shift amount fields: 

These two fields work in conjunction with the Note value and Swing% 
fields to move your notes to shifted timing locations. The Shift timing field 
sets the direction of shift (EARLIER or LATER) and the Shift amount field 
sets the amount of timing shift in ticks (1/96 of a 1/4-note). For example, 
in order to compensate for the slow attack time of a particular 
synthesizer, you might set these two fields to EARLY, 1 tick. This would 
cause all new notes to be recorded onto 1/16-notes but at 1 tick earlier 
than normal. 

COMMENT: It is not possible for this function to shift the timing 
of notes without also correcting their timing. This also means that 
the range of shift depends on the current Note value field's 
setting. For example, if the Note value field is set to 1/1 6-notes, 
the maximum shift amount is 1 1 ticks, or slightly less than 1/2 of 
one 1/16-note; if the Note value field is set to 1/32 notes, the 



Page 44 



Chapter 3: Recording Sequences 



maximum shift amount is 5 ticl<s, or slightly less than 1/2 of one 
1/32 note; and if the Note Value field is set to OFF(1/384), the 
Shift amount is fixed at 0, meaning that no shift is possible since 
timing correction is not being used. If you wish to shift the timing 
of a track independently of the timing correction function, use the 
Shift Timing function, accessed by pressing the EDIT key. 

COMMENT: If the Shift Timing function is set to shift notes early 
and one or more notes exist at the start of the sequence, those 
starting notes will be deleted when the <Move Existing> 
operation is performed, because there is no space before the 
start of the sequence for them to be moved to. To avoid this 
problem, insert a blank bar before bar 1 of the sequence before 
performing the shift operation, then be sure to include this extra 
bar within the range of bars to be shifted. This way, the notes 
that would have been lost will now be moved onto this newly 
inserted bar 

• The Ticks fields: 

These two fields are used to specify the region of the sequence that will 
be altered when the <IVIove Existing> soft key is pressed. These are 
bar.beat.tick fields — the region starts at the location entered in the 
leftmost field and ends one tick before the location entered in the 
rightmost field. 

• The Track field: 

This field is only used in conjunction with the <Moye Existing> soft key. It 
is used to specify the track number that is to be altered. Entering a 0 
indicates all tracks will be altered. 

• The <Moye Existing> soft key: 

Normally, the timing correct function operates in real time, correcting 
notes before they are recorded into the sequence. It is also possible to 
correct the timing (or add swing or shift the timing) of an existing 
sequence. Pressing this soft key will cause the region of the active 
sequence specified by the Ticks and Track fields to be corrected 
according to the settings of the Note value, Swing%, Shift timing and 
Shift amount fields. 



The Note Repeat Feature 

Another very useful feature of the TIMING CORRECT key is the ability to 
automatically repeat either drum or keyboard notes at a preset timing 
interval. This is useful in creating: 

• Drum rolls 

• Repeating-note drum patterns, such as 1/16-note hi-hat patterns 

• Repeating keyboard notes, such as a repeated 1/16-note bass part 

The Note Repeat feature is used in real time while recording or playing. 
To use this feature, press and hold TIMING CORRECT while in Play, 



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Chapter 3: Recording Sequences 



Overdub, or Record mode. The top line of the Play/Record screen will 
change to: 



==== (Hold pads or keys to repeat) ===== 

If any drum pads (when the active tracl< is a drum tracl<) or l<eys (when 
the active track is a MIDI track) are held while TIMING CORRECT is 
being held, they will automatically be repeated at the timing interval 
selected in the Note value field of the Timing Correct screen. 
Furthermore, the velocity level of each repeating note is set by the 
current pressure applied to the drum pad or key being played (if your 
MIDI keyboard has channel pressure capability). To demonstrate this 
effect: 

1 . Set up a sequence for recording, select a drum track to record, and 

initiate recording. 

2. While holding TIMING CORRECT, also hold the drum pad assigned to 
the hi-hat, varying the pressure as you hold it. You should hear 
repeating 1/16-note hi-hats. 

3. Press STOP to stop playing. 

4. Press TIMING CORRECT and select 1/32 TRPLT in the Note field. 

5. Press MAIN SCREEN to return to the Play/Record screen. 

6. Enter Overdub mode. 

7. While holding TIMING CORRECT, also hold the pad assigned to 
snare drum, varying the pressure as you hold it. You should hear a 
snare drum roll with varying dynamics. 

This same procedure can be used in exactly the same way when 
recording keyboard sequences. In this case, hold TIMING CORRECT 
while holding one or more keys on the MIDI keyboard. In order to use the 
varying pressure technique, you will need to use a keyboard that sends 
channel pressure messages. 



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Chapter 3: Recording Sequences 



Tempo and the TEMPO/SYNC Key 



Many of the functions in tlie MPC60 are associated with controlling the 
playing tempo. First, there is the Tempo field in the Play/Record screen 
(shown below in bold): 



============== Play/Record ■' 

Seq: 1- (unused) BPM:120.0 (SEQ) 

Sig: 4/ 4 Bars: 0 Loop: TO BAR 1 
============== Track Data ============== 

Trk: 1- (unused) Type: DRUM On: YES 

Chn:OFF- (of f ) & OFF Vel%:100 Pgm:OFF 

===== Now: 001 . 01 . 00 (00:00:00:00) ====== 

<Tk on/off> <Solo=OFF> <Track-> <Track+> 



To change the tempo at any time while playing or recording sequences, 
move the cursor to the Tempo field and change it with the data knob or 
the numeric keypad. 



The Tempo screen 

To display the Tempo screen, press the TEIVIPO/SYNC key: 



================ Tempo ================A 

Tempo: 120.0 Tempo source : SEQUENCE 

============= Display mode ============= 

BPM/FPB:BPM Frames: 30 

============== Tap Tempo =============== 

Tap averaging: 3 



<Sync> <TempoChanges> 



This screen presents most of the parameters that are associated with 
tempo. A detailed description of the individual screen fields and soft keys 
follows: 

• The Tempo field: 

This is the active playing tempo. It is either the sequence's assigned 
tempo or the master tempo, depending on the setting of the Tempo 
source field. This has the same function as the Active Tempo field in the 
Play/Record screen except that this field doesn't display tempo changes. 

• The Tempo source field: 

This field has the same function as the Tempo Source field in the 
Play/Record screen: It determines whether the sequence's tempo or the 
master tempo is currently active. It is a choice field with two options: 



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Chapter 3: Recording Sequences 



1. SEQUENCE: Within each sequence is a unique tempo 
setting. If this option is selected, this unique sequence tempo 
is used. In this case, whenever the active sequence number 
is changed, the newly selected sequence's tempo 
immediately becomes active. When playing sequences, this 
is useful if you want each newly selected sequence to play at 
its own preset tempo. Only the sequence's tempo is saved to 
disk when a sequence is saved. 

2. MASTER: The master tempo is a single tempo setting that 
applies to all sequences and songs. When playing sequences 
this is useful if you want each newly selected sequence to 
always play at the same tempo. 

• Tempo Display Mode field (BPM/FPB:BPM): 

This field has the same function as the Tempo Display Mode field in the 
Play/Record screen: it determines whether the active tempo is displayed 
as Beats Per Minute or Frames Per Beat. It is a choice field with two 
options: 

1 . BPM: The tempo is displayed in Beats Per Minute, with the 
digit to the right of the decimal point indicating tenths of a 
beat. This is the most common format used to specify a 
tempo setting. In this mode, the range of tempo settings in the 
MPC60 is from 30 BPM to 300 BPM. Beats Per Minute is also 
sometimes referred to as metronome marking, or MM. 

2. FPB: This is another way of specifying tempo settings and is 
often used in the making of music for film or video 
soundtracks, because the tempo is referenced to the number 
of film or video frames that pass for every beat of music. 
Frames Per Beat is also sometimes referred to as click. If the 
FPB setting is in use, the digit to the right of the decimal point 
in any of the numeric tempo settings indicates eighths (1/8 of 
a frame). The range is from 0 to 7. There are four different 
types of FPB tempo, described in the Frames field below. 

• The Frames field: 

This field selects one of four Frames Per Second standards, used to 
calculate the current FPB (frames per beat) setting. It also sets the frame 
rate (and therefore affects the tempo) for received SMPTE sync or MIDI 
Time Code. The four options are: 

30 (30 frames per second, non-drop): 

This is the most common frame rate for music production in the 
United States. It was also the standard for black and white 
television in the U.S. Using this mode, the tempo range of the 
MPC60 is from 60.0 to 6.0 FPB. 



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Chapter 3: Recording Sequences 



29.97 DROP (29.97 frames per second, drop frame): 
This is tine standard for NTSC color television in the United 
States. Using this mode, the tempo range of the IVIPCeO is from 
59.7 to 6.0 FPB. 

COMMENT: In the MPC60 version 2 software, this 
selection was erroneously called 30DROP, although it 
was actually 29.97 frames per second drop frame time 
code. Sorry. 

25 (25 frames per second): 

This is the standard for European television (PAL /SECAM 
standard). Using this mode, the tempo range of the MPC60 is 
from 50.0 to 5.0 FPB. 

24 (24 frames per second): 

This is the standard for film. However, since film is usually 
transferred to video for scoring, the composer still works with the 
video standard frame rates. Using this mode, the tempo range of 
the IVlPCeO is from 48.0 to 5.0 FPB. 



• The Tap averaging field 

This parameter is used in conjunction with the TAP TEIVIPO key. The 
TAP TEIVIPO key is used for quick setting of the playing tempo by 
repeatedly tapping 1/4-notes on the key at the desired tempo. (This is 
described further in the section "The Tap Tempo key.") Repeated taps 
are averaged to help reduce timing errors; this field sets the number of 
taps that must be played successively before the tempo is recalculated 
The options are: 

2 taps: 

This should be used only if your timing is very good, or if you 
want to set the new tempo roughly. 

3 taps: 

This is a good average setting. 

4 taps: 

This is useful if your timing is not very accurate, because it 
smoothes out your timing errors. 



• The <Sync> soft key : 

This screen is described in the chapter entitled "Syncing to Tape and 
Other Devices." 

• The <TempoChanges> soft key: 

The function of this soft key is described in the following section. 



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Chapter 3: Recording Sequences 



Mid-Sequence Tempo Changes 

This feature allows the tempo to change automatically at preset locations 
within a sequence. To insert tempo changes into the active sequence or 
to view existing tempo changes, press the TEIVIPO/SYNC key, then 
press the <TempoChanges> soft key. The following screen will appear: 



====== Mid Sequence Tempo Changes =====A 

Tempo changes: ON 

Location for inserted change : 001 . 01 . 00 

Change#: Bar# : %Change : Tempo: 

2 002.03.00 150.00 180.0 BPM 



<Insert new> <Delete> <Previous> <Next> 



in the center of the screen is a group of fields, labeled Change#, Bar#, 
%Change and Tempo. In this case, the labels are located directly above 

the actual data fields. These four fields work together to allow you to 
view or edit any tempo changes that exist in the sequence. 

There can be many tempo changes in the sequence. These four fields 
show one of these changes at a time. The Change# field shows the 
number of the currently displayed tempo change within the list of 
changes; the other fields show the contents of that tempo change. For 
example, the above screen example shows that tempo change number 2 
will occur at bar 2, beat 3, and will change the tempo by 150% to 180 
beats per minute. 

The following is a description of each of these four fields: 

• The Change# field: 

This field displays the number of the tempo change currently 
displayed. There can be many tempo changes within the 
sequence, but only one can be viewed at a time. By changing 
this number, each of the existing tempo changes can be viewed. 
The <Previous> and <Next> soft keys can also be used to 
decrement or increment this field. 

• The Bar# field: 

This field shows the location within the sequence where the 
currently displayed tempo change will occur. This is a 
bar.beat.tick field. 

• The %Change field: 

This field shows, as a percentage of the main starting tempo 
(either IVIASTER or SEQUENCE), the amount of tempo change 
that the currently displayed tempo will produce. Tempo changes 
are always specified as a percentage of the main starting tempo 
setting (not the previous tempo change), regardless of whether 
the SEQUENCE or IVIASTER tempo setting is currently active. 
This way, all tempo changes are automatically re-scaled when 



Page 50 



Chapter 3: Recording Sequences 



the main tempo setting (either SEQUENCE or MASTER) is 

changed. 

• Tlie Tempo field: 

This field displays the new tempo at which the sequence will play 
once the tempo change is active. This number is automatically 
computed from the displayed percentage of change multiplied by 
the main playing tempo (either MASTER or SEQUENCE). 



To view the entire list of tempo changes, simply modify the Change# field 
and notice the different settings of the other three fields as you change it. 
Even if no changes have been entered, every sequence has one 
change — to 100% at bar 1. This is because the current tempo setting is 
always returned to when the sequence plays bar 1 , whether it does so by 
playing from the start or by looping back to the start. 

To insert a new tempo change, enter the location within the sequence 
where you want the change to occur into the Location for inserted 
change field, which is a bar.beat.tick field. Then press the <lnsert New> 
soft key. Immediately, a new tempo change will be inserted into the list, 
displayed on the screen with a default value in the %Change field of 
100%. You must now enter a percentage of the main starting tempo. As 
you enter the percentage, the Tempo field will show the actual tempo. 
For example, to insert a tempo change to 60 BPM at bar 5 from a main 
starting tempo of 120 BPM, you must insert a tempo change with a value 
of 50% at bar 5 (120 BPM X 50% = 60 BPM). 

To delete the currently displayed tempo change, press the <Delete> soft 
key. 

The field at the top of the screen. Tempo changes, is a choice field with 
two options: ON and OFF. If set to ON, tempo changes are used; if set to 
OFF, all tempo changes within the sequence are ignored. 



The TAP TEMPO Key 

The TAP TEMPO key allows the tempo to be set quickly by tapping two 
beats (1/4-notes) on the TAP TEMPO key. After two taps, the MPC60 
automatically assumes the two taps to be 1/4-notes and recalculates a 
new tempo to match those 1/4-notes. 

For example, to change to a tempo of 80 BPM quickly, tap two 1/4-notes 
at a tempo of approximately 80 BPM on the TAP TEMPO key. After the 
second tap, the new tempo will appear in the Active Tempo field of the 
Play/Record screen. This can also be done while the sequence is 
playing. 

Normally, only two taps are required before the MPC60 recalculates the 
new tempo. However, it is possible to set this feature so that it 
recalculates the tempo by averaging the last three (or four) successive 



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Chapter 3: Recording Sequences 



tap intervals. This is set in tine Tap averaging field, located in the Tempo 
screen. More information about using the TAP TEMPO key is contained 
in the "Tempo and the TEMPO/SYNC Key" section of the manual, earlier 
in this chapter. 



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Chapter 3: Recording Sequences 



The WAIT FOR KEY and COUNT IN Keys 

These two keys make the process of real-time sequence recording 
easier. 



The WAIT FOR KEY key 

This function is useful in the recording of keyboard sequences when your 
keyboard is not located close to the IVIPCGO. If Play, Record or Overdub 
mode is entered while the Wait For Key function is on, the sequence will 
not begin to play until a key is played on the MIDI keyboard. This acts as 
a remote switch to start the sequence playing. Note that the first key that 
is played to start the sequence is NOT recorded into the sequence — it 
only starts the sequence. All keys played after recording has been 
initiated are recorded into the sequence. 

To turn Wait For Key mode on, press the WAIT FOR KEY key once; the 
light goes on to indicate it has been activated. To turn the mode off, 
press the WAIT FOR KEY key again and the light will go off. If set to ON, 
it will automatically go OFF after it has been used once (for playback, 
recording, or overdubbing a sequence). You must turn it on again each 
time you want to use it. 



The COUNT IN key 

If the Count In function is on, one bar of metronome clicks will precede 

the playing of the sequence or song whenever you initiate playback of a 
sequence or song. The clicks provide a tempo guide to prepare you to 
record or play along with the sequence. 

Press COUNT IN to turn the function on and again to tum it off. While on, 
the light above the key is lit. 

It is possible to select a mode in which the count in only occurs before 

recording and not before playing. To select this mode and to adjust other 
metronome parameters, press the OTHER key. These features are 
explained in the "OTHER Key" section, later in this chapter. 

COMMENT: While the Count In bar is playing, keys played on 
the MIDI keyboard will not be output through MIDI (via the 
MPC60 's Soft Thru function) until the Count In bar has finished. 
For example, if you were to play a chord during the count in bar, 
the chord would not sound until bar 1 started playing. This is 
normal operation and sen/es as a reminder that no notes can be 
recorded during the count in bar, and that any notes played 
during that time will be held and recorded at the start of the 
sequence. 



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Chapter 3: Recording Sequences 



The AUTO PUNCH Key 



The Auto Punch function allows Overdub or Record modes to be entered 
and exited automatically at preset times while playing. This can be very 
useful when you want to execute a very tight punch-in and there isn't 
enough time to get from the console keys to the MIDI keyboard to play 
the new notes after the punch-in. The Auto Punch function punches in 
for you, allowing you to concentrate on playing the new part. 



Press AUTO PUNCH to display the following screen: 





Auto Punch 








A 












Mode : IN+OUT 












Auto punch: In= 


=001.01.000 


Out = 


003. 


01 


.000 


Last punch: In= 


=001.01.000 


Out= 


003. 


01 


.000 


<Turn on xUse 


' Last ' > 











The fields and soft keys are: 



• The Mode field: 

This field is used to select one of three Auto Punch modes: 

1. IN+OUT: 

Both the punch-in and the punch-out is automated. 

2. PUNCH IN ONLY: 

Only the punch-in is automated. Once Record or Overdub 
mode is automatically entered by the Auto Punch function, it 
will not punch out — you must manually exit Record or 
Overdub mode. 

3. PUNCH OUT ONLY: 

Only the punch-out is automated. You must enter Record or 
Overdub mode manually, after which Auto Punch will 
automatically exit Record or Overdub mode at the preset 
punch-out time. 

• The Auto Punch ln= and Out= fields: 

These two fields are used to specify the locations within the sequence at 
which the punch-in and punch-out will occur. To enter a number into 
either of these two fields, type the bar number, a decimal point, the beat 
number, a decimal point, and the tick number, followed by ENTER. If the 
number you wish to enter is at the start of a bar, simply enter the bar 
number followed by ENTER, and the beat and tick numbers will 
automatically be reset. 



Page 54 



Chapter 3: Recording Sequences 



• The Last Punch ln= and Out= fields: 

These two fields are indicators only — they cannot be manually changed. 
They are used to indicate the exact locations of the punch-in and punch- 
out that was last performed manually . 

• The <Turn on > soft key: 

Pressing this turns on the Auto Punch function, as indicated by the 
status light above the key. If Auto Punch is already on, the soft key text 
shows <Tum off> and pressing it turns both Auto Punch and the light off. 

• The <Use 'Last'> soft key: 

Pressing this soft key causes the contents of the Last Punch ln= and 
Out= fields to be copied into the Auto Punch ln= and Out= fields. This is 
useful when you want Auto Punch to repeat the last manual punch 
automatically. 



To perform the AUTO PUNCH: 

Once you have entered the punch-in and punch-out locations and you 
have turned Auto Punch mode on by pressing SOFT KEY 1, locate to a 
position within the sequence that is a few bars before the punch-in point. 
Then enter Record mode as usual by pressing PLAY and RECORD 
simultaneously. Since the Auto Punch function is on, however, Record 
mode is not yet entered. Instead, the RECORD light blinks until the 
punch-in point is reached. When it is reached. Record mode is 
automatically entered and the RECORD light stops blinking and stays on 
continuously. When the punch-out point is reached, Record mode is 
automatically exited and the RECORD light goes off, but play continues. 

It is also possible to use Auto Punch to enter and exit Overdub mode 
automatically. To do this, follow the example given above, but instead of 
pressing RECORD, press OVERDUB. The mode that is entered is 
determined by which key is pressed, RECORD or OVERDUB. 



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Chapter 3: Recording Sequences 



The 2nd SEQ Key 

This function allows the IVIPCeO to play two sequences simultaneously. 
For example, you could use the active sequence to record all of your 
keyboard tracks linearly while simultaneously using the Second 
Sequence to play a looped drum sequence. The Second Sequence can 
also play simultaneously with the active song, if song mode is active. 

To use this feature, press the 2nd SEQ key, and the following screen will 
appear: 



============= 2nd Sequence ============A 

On/ Off : ON Sequence : 2 3-A_f unny_sequence 
(This sequence will play simultaneously 
with the active sequence or song.) 



To turn the Second Sequence on, first enter the number of the sequence 
that you would like to play simultaneously with the active sequence in the 
Sequence field. The name of the selected sequence is displayed to the 
right of the number for convenience. Next, move the cursor to the On/Off 
field and select ON. The light above the key will turn on as an indicator. 
Now, when you play the active sequence or song, the sequence you 
selected in the Second Sequence screen will also play. To turn the 
feature off, retum to the Second Sequence screen and select OFF in the 
On/Off field. 



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Chapter 3: Recording Sequences 



The OTHER Key 



The OTHER key gives you access to a number of additional features, 
many of wliicli are related to sequence recording: 

• Metronome controls: Provides adjustments for the recording 
metronome and Count In function. 

• Foot Switches: Allows the two foot switch inputs to be assigned. 

• Free sequence memory display: Shows the current percentage of 
sequence memory available for recording. 

• Initialize system parameters: Provides access to the Initialize PAR File 

Data screen, which allows the initialization of all general parameters in 
the MPC60. This function is further described in the "Initializing System 
Parameters" section later in this chapter. 

• Record 16 channels simultaneously: Provides access to the Record 16 
Channels function, which allows all 16 incoming MIDI channels to be 
recorded simultaneously, which is useful when transferring sequences 
from another sequencer to the MPC60. This function is detailed in the 
"Record 16 Channels Function: Multichannel Recording" section later in 
this chapter. 



Metronome, Foot Switches, and Free Sequence Memory 

When the OTHER key is pressed, the following screen appears: 



============== Metronome ■' 

Volume:14 In play:YES 

Count in: REG ONLY Rate: 1/4 NOTE 

====== Foot switches / Free Memory ===== 

Footl :PLAY-STRT/STP Foot2: RECORD IN/OUT 
Free seq mem: 100% 



<Init PARxRec 16 Chs><Version> 



The fields and soft keys are: 



The Metronome section: 

• The Volume field: 

This field controls the volume of the metronome in the stereo mix, from 0 
to 14. 

• The In play field: 

This is a choice field that has two options: 



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Chapter 3: Recording Sequences 



1. NO: The metronome is heard during Record orOverdub 
modes, but not while in Play mode. 

2. YES: The metronome is heard in Play, as well as in Record 
and Overdub modes. 

• The Count in field: 

This is a choice field with two options: 

1. REC+PLAY: If the Count In light is on, the count in will be 
heard before recording, overdubbing, or playing. 

2. REC ONLY: If the Count In light is on, the count in will only be 
heard before recording. 

• The Rate field: 

This choice field controls the note value of the metronome. Normally, the 
metronome plays 1/4-notes. In this field it is possible to change that 
value to one of eight options: 

1/4 NOTE 
1/4 TRPLT 
1/8 NOTE 
1/8 TRPLT 
1/16 NOTE 
1/16 TRPLT 
1/32 NOTE 
1/32 TRPLT 



The Foot switches /Free Memory section: 

• The Footi and Foot2 fields: 

These two fields determine the function of foot switches connected to the 
rear panel FOOT SW 1 and 2 inputs. These are choice fields, each of 
which can be set independently to one of the following options: 

PLAY/STOP: 

Press the foot switch once for PLAY, press again for STOP. 

PLAY-STRT/STP (Play start /stop): 

Press once for PLAY START, press again for STOP. 

ERASE: 

Press to duplicate the function of pressing ERASE. This is very 
useful for hands-free use of the real-time erase function. 

TIMING CORECT (Timing correct): 
Press to duplicate the function of pressing the TIMING 
CORRECT key. This is very useful for hands-free use of the 
Note Repeat function. 

'+': 

Press to duplicate the function of turning the data entry knob one 
step to the right. 



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Chapter 3: Recording Sequences 



I I. 

Press to duplicate the function of turning the data entry knob one 
step to the left. 

RECORD IN/OUT: 

Press once to duplicate the function of punching in to Record 
mode while playing; press again to duplicate the function of 
punching out of Record mode and back into Play mode. 

OVRDUB IN/OUT (Overdub in/out): 

Press once to duplicate the function of punching in to Overdub 
mode while playing; press again to duplicate the function of 
punching out of Overdub mode and back into Play mode. 

'<': 

Press to duplicate the function of pressing the REWIND [<] key. 
This is very useful for stepping backward through the sequence 
while Step Edit is on. 

■>': 

Press to duplicate the function of pressing the FAST FORWARD 
[>] key. This is very useful for stepping forward through the 
sequence while Step Edit is on. 

TAP TEMPO: 

Press to duplicate the function of pressing the TAP TEMPO key. 



• The Free seq mem field: 

This field shows the total amount of sequence memory currently 
available for recording. It is for display only and cannot be edited. 



The soft keys: 

• The <lnit PAR> soft key: 

Pressing this soft key presents a screen used for initializing all general 
system parameters, which are stored in PAR files. This function is 
described in the following section of this chapter. 

• The <Rec 16 Chs> soft key: 

Pressing this soft key presents a screen used for setting up multichannel 
recording. This is described in the section "The Record 16 Channels 
Function: Multichannel Recording," later in this chapter. 

• The <Version> soft key: 

Pressing this soft key presents the same screen as is shown when 
power is turned on, showing the software operating system version 
number and date. 



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Chapter 3: Recording Sequences 



Initializing System Parameters 

There are a number of parameters in the MPC60 that are not saved in 
SEQ, ALL, SND, PGIVI, or APS disl< files. These settings, called system 
parameters, are retained in a special memory that doesn't lose its 
contents when the power is turned off. These settings include: 

• Names for all 64 IVIIDI channels 

• IVlaster tempo 

• BPIVI/FPB select and frames per second select 

• IVIIDI Input Filter settings 

• Default settings for initializing sequences 

. . .and many more (see the Appendix for a complete list). 

To initialize these system parameters to their factory preset state, press 
the OTHER key, then select the <lnit PAR> soft key. The following 
screen will appear: 



==== Initialize Parameter File Data ===A 
Initialize : ALL PAR FILE DATA 



<Do it> 



The fields and soft keys are: 

• The Initialize field: 

This choice field is used to select whether all or only some of the system 
parameters will be initialized. The options are: 

ALL PAR FILE DATA 

PAD TO NOTE ASSIGNMENTS 

MIDI INPUT FILTER 

MIDI CHANNEL NAMES 

MISC. SINGLE DATA FIELDS 

• The <Do it> soft key: 

Pressing this soft key initializes the selected data. 



The Record 16 Channels Function: Multichannel Recording 

In its normal operating mode the MPC60 can only record one track at a 
time. There is, however, a special mode of recording that allows you to 
record on all 16 MIDI channels at once. This is very useful when 
transferring sequences to the MPC60 from other sequencers. This 
feature works by recording the 16 incoming MIDI channels into the first 



Page 60 



Chapter 3: Recording Sequences 



16 tracks of a newly-created empty sequence, with each track assigned 
to the like-numbered MIDI channel. That is, track 1 records MIDI channel 
1, track 2 records MIDI channel 2, and so on up to track 16, which 
records MIDI channel 16. Track assignments are made automatically. 

To use the Record 16 Channels function to transfer a sequence from an 
external sequencer to the MPC60, you must first synchronize the MPC60 
to the other sequencer using MIDI Clock. To do this: 

1 . Set the sending sequencer to generate MIDI clock and song position 
pointer data. 

2. Set the MPC60 to synchronize to incoming MIDI clock and song 
position pointer data. (See the "MIDI Functions" chapter of this 
manual for details.) 

Press the OTHER key, then press SOFT KEY 2, <Rec 16 Chs>, to view 
the first Record 16 Channels screen: 



======== Record All 16 channels =======A 

Seq: 1-SEQOl 

Sig: 4/ 4 Drums on ch:10 



Tracks 1-16 recv from chans 1-16. Timing 
corr = off. Enter data, then <Proceed>. 



<Proceed> 



In this screen, you must select a sequence for recording, a time 
signature for the new sequence, and select which channel will receive 
drum data, if any. The fields and soft key of this screen are: 

• The Seq field: 

This is the sequence to be recorded into. When <Proceed> is pressed, 
the contents of this sequence will be completely erased so that it can be 
used for recording. 

• The Sequence Name field (Seq: 1- SEQOl in the above example 
screen): 

This field shows the name of the current sequence. Once you have 

selected the sequence number to be used, you can enter the new 
sequence name here. It can be changed in the same manner as the 
Sequence Name field in the Play/Record screen. 

• The Sig field (time signature): 

This is actually two fields — the upper and lower half of the time signature 
to be used for recording. When <Proceed> is pressed, the selected 
sequence will be initialized to one bar of the time signature entered in 
these two fields. 

• The Drums on ch field (drums on channel): 

If one of the incoming MIDI channels will contain drum data and you 
would like the corresponding MPC60 track to be a DRUM track, specify 



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Chapter 3: Recording Sequences 



that MIDI channel here. When <Proceed> is pressed, this tracl< number 
will have its Type field set to DRUM. 

• The <Proceed> soft key: 

When all of the above fields have been entered, press this soft l<ey to 
initialize the selected sequence and move on to the second Record 16 
Channels screen: 



======== Record All 16 Channels =======A 

Seq: l-Sequence^'name BPM: 120.0 (SEQ) 
Sig: 4/ 4 Bars: 1 LoopiOFF 



While holding RECORD, play ext sequencer 
with MIDI clock. 

===== Now: 001 . 01 . 00 (00:00:00.00) ====== 

<Done> 



This is the screen in which the actual recording will take place. The 
selected sequence has now been initialized to contain one bar of the 
time signature entered in the previous screen. The first 16 tracks have 
been assigned to MIDI channels 1 through 16, as described above. All 
tracks have their Type assigned to MIDI except for the track number 
specified in the Drums on ch field in the previous screen, which has been 
initialized to DRUM. 



The fields and soft key are: 

• The Seq field: 

This field shows the sequence number that was entered in the previous 
screen. In this screen it is for display only and cannot be changed. 

• The Sequence Name field (Seq: 1- SEQ01 in the above example 
screen): 

This is the selected sequence's name. It can be changed in the same 
manner as the Sequence Name field in the Play/Record screen. 

• The Tempo Display Mode, Active Tempo, and Tempo Source fields: 
These three fields operate exactly as their counterparts in the 
Play/Record screen do. 

• The Sig field (time signature): 

This field shows the time signature entered in the previous screen. It is 
for display only and cannot be changed. 

• The Bars field 

This shows the total number of bars in the newly initialized sequence, 

which is always initialized to 1 bar. When recording begins, additional 
bars will be added to the end of the sequence as needed, as is normal 
when the Loop field is set to OFF in the Play/Record screen. 

• The Loop field: 



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Chapter 3: Recording Sequences 



This is for display only and cannot be changed. It indicates that the 
sequence's Loop field is forced to OFF because loop recording is not 
permitted during 16 cliannel recording. 

• The <Done> soft key: 

When finished recording, press this soft key to exit to tlie Play/Record 
screen with your new sequence intact. 



To record the incoming sequence: 

While holding the RECORD key on the MPC60, start the external 
sequencer playing from the beginning of its sequence. As soon as the 
MPC60 receives the sync signals, it will enter Record mode and begin 
recording the data from the other sequencer in real time. (Note: The 
OVERDUE key is disabled during 16 channel recording.) Once the 
transfer is finished, stop the external sequencer (the MPC60 will stop 
automatically) or manually stop the MPC60. 

The MPC60 now contains the transferred sequence, which can be 
played using the PLAY, PLAY START, REWIND, FAST FORWARD and 
LOCATE keys. Play the sequence; if the transfer was successful, press 
<Done> to return to the Play/Record screen. If the transfer didn't come 
out as intended, try again by holding RECORD and starting the other 
sequencer. 

COMMENT: If the incoming multitracl< sequence contains a large 
amount of data or is playing at a very fast tempo, it is possible 
for the MPC60 to become overloaded, causing delays in the 
timing of the recorded sequence. If this occurs, reduce the 
tempo of the sending sequencer This will lower the MPCdO's 
processing requirement, and should eliminate any overload 
errors. 



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Chapter 3: Recording Sequences 



Recording MIDI System -Exclusive Data 



The MPC60 can record patch data or any other MIDI system-exclusive 
messages from external synthesizers directly into tracks. To do this, 
simply send the system-exclusive message to the MPC60 while in 
Record, Overdub, or Step Edit mode, and it will be recorded into the 
active track, just the same as any other MIDI data. The only limitation is 
that the message must be smaller than 1000 bytes. If an attempt is made 
to record a message that is larger than that, the entire message will be 
rejected. 1000 bytes is enough to accommodate a single voice patch 
data dump from virtually any synthesizer, but it is not large enough for 
many voice bank data dumps (large files containing an entire bank of 
syntliesizer patches). 

One way of using this feature is to insert a blank bar at the beginning of 
your sequence and record the voice data dumps for each track into that 
first bar. When the sequence is played from the start, each external 
synthesizer will immediately receive the voice data in the first bar, so it 
will be ready to play the note data starting in the second bar with the 
proper sound. 

There is one problem with playing system-exclusive messages from 
sequences: there is no standard method for identifying the MIDI channel 
number within the message, and therefore the MPC60 cannot assign the 
output MIDI channel over which the message will be sent. This means, 
for example, that a system-exclusive message received over MIDI 
channel 3 while recording into the MPC60 will always be played out of 
the MPC60 on MIDI channel 3, regardless of the track's output MIDI 
channel. To overcome this problem, you must send the system-exclusive 
message on the desired MIDI channel while recording it into the MPC60. 
Most synthesizers allow you to select the transmit channel. Note, 
however, that some older synthesizers, such as the original Yamaha DX- 
7, always transmit on MIDI channel 1. 

However, there is a way to change the MIDI channel of a system- 
exclusive message while it is in the MPC60 — by using Step Edit. The 
MIDI channel is assigned to a single byte within the message and the 
Step Edit function allows you to change the contents of any byte within 
the message. If you know which byte a particular manufacturer uses for 
the channel number, you can change the contents of that byte to the 
desired MIDI channel number. For example, the Yamaha DX-7 system- 
exclusive messages contain the MIDI channel in byte number 3, so 
whatever number you put into byte number 3 of the message will be the 
new output MIDI channel number. To learn more about editing in Step 
Edit mode, read "The STEP EDIT Key" section in the "Editing 
Sequences" chapter of this manual. 



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Chapter 4: 
Editing Sequences 



Chapter 4: Editing Sequences 



The ERASE Key 

The ERASE key provides three main functions: 

• Erasing notes in real time while in Overdub mode 

• Erasing notes or other events while stopped 

• Initializing or deleting sequences 



Erasing Notes in Real Time While in Overdub Mode 

If the ERASE key is pressed and held while in Overdub mode, the top 
line of the Play/Record screen changes to the following for as long as 
ERASE is held: 



===== (Hold pads or keys to erase) 

If during this time you hold a drum pad (if the active track is a Drum 
track) or hold a key on a connected MIDI keyboard (if the active track is 
a MIDI track), any notes assigned to that pad or key in the selected track 
will be erased. 



Erasing Notes or Other Events While Stopped 

While not playing, the MPC60 allows the erasure of specific events from 
any region within a sequence, on one or all tracks. This is done using the 
ERASE key. 

If the ERASE key is pressed while the MPC60 is not playing, the Erase 
screen appears: 



================= Erase ■' 

Seqnc: 1-SEQOl 

Track: 1-TRKOl (0 = all) 

Ticks : 001 . 01 . 00-003 .01.00 
Erase: ALL EVENTS 

Notes: 0 (C . -2 ) -127 (G . 8 ) (Press keys) 



<Do it> <Initialize><Delete><Delete All> 



To erase the notes, enter the appropriate data into each of the data 
fields, then press the <Do it> soft key. The fields and soft keys are: 



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Chapter 4: Editing Sequences 



• The Seqnc (sequence) field: 

In this field, enter the sequence number fronn which the data will be 
erased. The sequence name is shown to the right for convenience. 

• The Track field: 

This field specifies the track from which the data will be erased. The 
active track is automatically inserted here. To erase all tracks at once, 
enter a 0 here. In that case, the Notes field will be forced to ALL because 
it is not possible to select specific notes for erasure when erasing all 
tracks. 

• The Ticks fields: 

These two fields are used to set the region to be erased, starting with the 
location specified in the leftmost field, through one clock before the 
location specified in the rightmost field. They are both bar.beat.tick fields, 
allowing you to set the region to be erased in increments as small as one 
tick. 

• The Erase field: 

This field allows you to select which types of events will be erased. It is a 
choice field with three options: 

1. ALL EVENTS: If this option is selected, all possible MIDI event 
types will be erased. 

2. ONLY ERASE: If this option is selected, only one event type 
will be erased, and the type of event to be erased will appear 
in a choice field directly to the right on the same line. In this 
rightmost field, all event types are listed, including all 128 
MIDI controllers. 

3. ALL EXCEPT: If this option is selected, all MIDI event types 
EXCEPT one specific type will be erased; the event type that 
will NOT be erased will appear in a choice field directly to the 
right on the same line. In this rightmost field, all event types 
are listed, including all 128 MIDI controllers. 

• The Notes field: 

This field determines which notes will be erased. It appears in one of two 
ways depending on whether the selected track is a Drum track or a MIDI 
track: 

1 . If the source track is a MIDI track, two numeric fields — used to 
set the lowest and highest notes to erase within the MIDI 
keyboard's range — will appear as above. Each of these 
numeric fields is editable and has a range of 0 to 127; the 
equivalent note name (C-2 to G8) is shown to the right of 
each field. Alternately, these fields can be set by pressing two 
notes on the MIDI input device's keyboard. The fields will 
automatically be set to the lowest and highest keys pressed. 

2. If the source track is a Drum track, this field is used to select 
specific MIDI note numbers for erasure, but cannot be 
accessed by the cursor — it can only be changed by pressing 
pads or by receiving extemal MIDI notes. When the screen is 
first displayed, it contains the word ALL (erase all notes) and 
the text (Hit pads) to the right. When a pad is pressed, its 
currently assigned note number will appear in the field. 



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Chapter 4: Editing Sequences 



followed by the pad number and currently assigned sound 
name. On the right side of the line is the text ( 1 pad ) 
indicating that 1 pad is selected for erasure: 

Notes:36/A02-SNAR&ORUIVI ( 1 pad ) 

If another pad is then pressed, its note number, pad number, 
and assigned sound are displayed instead, and the text to the 
right displays ( 2 pads). This continues until you select all of 
the pads you intend to erase. 

• The <Do it> soft key: 

Pressing this soft key performs the erasure specified by the data in the 
screen fields. 

• The <lnitialize> soft key: 

This soft key is used to erase and initialize the entire sequence to 
specific values. Please see the following section, "Initializing a 
Sequence," for an explanation of this feature. 

• The <Delete> soft key: 

This soft key is used to delete the entire sequence, which erases all data 
and sets the sequence to the same unused state as when power is first 
turned on. When a sequence is deleted, it uses the least amount of 
memory, less than if it is initialized. When SOFT KEY 3 (<Delete>) is 
pressed, the following screen appears: 



============ Delete Sequence =========A 

Sequence: 23-Sequence^name 
(This will reset the sequence to its 
unused state with no contents.) 



<Do it> 



Enter the desired sequence number and press <Do it>. 
• The <Delete all> soft key: 

This soft key is used to delete all 99 sequences, setting them to the 
same state as when power is first turned on (maximum available 
sequence memory). When pressed, a warning screen will appear before 
the actual deletion occurs. 



Initializing a Sequence 



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Chapter 4: Editing Sequences 



To erase a sequence and initialize it to preset values, press the ERASE 
key, followed by SOFT KEY 2 (<lnitialize>). The following screen will 
appear: 



========== Initialize Sequence ========A 

Select sequence: 1- (unused) 

===== General ===== ==== Track: 1 

■ : 2 Sig: 4/ 4 Status : UNUSED 
BPM:12 0.0 Type: DRUM Pgm:OFF 

Loop: TO BAR 1 Chn : OFF & OFF 



<Do it> <Track-> <Track+> 



The fields and soft keys are: 
• The Select sequence field: 

This field is used to enter the number of the sequence that is to be 
initialized. The selected sequence's name is shown for convenience. 



The "General" section: 

• The Bars field: 

In this field enter the number of bars that you want the initialized 
sequence to have. 



• The Sig (time signature) field: 

In this field enter the time signature that you want the initialized 
sequence to have. It is actually two fields, one for the upper and one for 
the lower parts of the time signature. 

• The BPM field: 

In this field enter the tempo that you want the initialized sequence to 
have. To view the tempo in frames per beat, move the cursor to the word 
BPM and use the data entry knob to change it to FPB, just as in the 
Play/Record screen. 

• The Loop field: 

In this field enter the loop status (OFF or TO BAR) and the loop bar 
number, if TO BAR is selected, that you want the initialized sequence to 
have. 



The "Track" section 

• The Track field: 

Any or all of the sequence's tracks can be initialized. To enter the 
settings for each track, first select the track number in this field, then 
enter the initialization data for that track in the fields below. This feature 
lets you create templates for new sequences, so that track 2 defaults to 



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Chapter 4: Editing Sequences 



MIDI channel 6, for example. The contents of the five fields in this 
section apply only to the track (1 of 99) that is selected in this field. 

• The Status field: 

This is a choice field with two options: 

1 . UNUSED: The track number displayed in the Track field will 
not be initialized. Instead, it will be set to an unused state (as 
when power is turned on), which requires the least amount of 
memory. However, if this track is later recorded into, it will 
immediately be initialized to default values. 

2. IN USE: The track number displayed in the Track field will be 
initialized to the values entered in the Type, Pgm and Chn 
fields. 

• The Type field: 

The Type field for the selected track will be initialized to the option 
selected in this field (DRUM or MIDI). 

• The Pgm field: 

The Pgm field for the selected track will be initialized to the option 
selected in this field (1-128 or OFF). 

• The Chn field: 

In this field enter the output MIDI channel (1-16 or OFF) and port (A-D) to 

which the selected track will be initialized, using the same data entry 
method as for the Chn field in the Play/Record screen. To the right of this 
field is another field for the auxiliary MIDI output channel assignment. 

• The <Do it> soft key: 

After values for all the fields have been entered, press this soft key to 
initialize the sequence. 



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Chapter 4: Editing Sequences 



The EDIT Key 



The EDIT key provides access to many features related to sequence 
editing. Pressing it will display the following menu screen: 



============= Edit Sequence ===========A 

1) View/chng T sig 6) Copy events 

2) Chng track order 7) Copy a sequence 

3) Insert blank bars 8) Shift timing 

4) Delete bars 9) Edit note data 

5 ) Copy bars 



Select option: 



Pressing a single number key causes the screen for the selected feature 
to appear. These features are described below: 



Viewing and Chianging Time Signature 

This feature displays the time signature and number of bars in the active 
sequence as well as any time signature changes. Press 1 (View/chng T 
sig) from the EDIT key menu and the following screen will be displayed: 



========== View Time Signature ========A 

Bar 1 - 2: 4/ 4 



<Page -> <Page +> <Change TSig> 



This screen displays all time signature changes within the active 

sequence, and the number of bars associated with each change. If no 
time signature changes exist, the existing single time signature and the 
total number of bars in the sequence will be displayed. Space is given for 
ten time signature changes, with two changes per line. If more exist, the 
<Page +> soft key is used to view more pages of changes, and the 
<Page -> soft key is used to display earlier pages. 



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Chapter 4: Editing Sequences 



Changing the time signature of a singie bar 

To change the time signature of a specific bar, press <Change Tsig>. 
The following screen will appear: 



======== Change Time Signature ========A 

Change the time signature of bar: 1 
from 4/ 4 to 4/4. 

(If the new time sig is shorter, the end 
of the bar is truncated; if longer, 
blank space is added to the end.) 



<Do it> 



This feature allows you to change the length of a particular bar within a 
sequence by changing its time signature. If the time signature you 
change to is shorter than the existing one, the unused end of the bar is 
truncated. For example, if you need to remove one 1/8-note from the end 
of a 4/4 bar, you would change its time signature to 7/8. If the new time 
signature is longer than the existing one, a small amount of blank space 
will be added onto the end of the bar. 

To change the time signature of a bar, first select the bar number to be 

changed in the top line. The existing time signature for that bar will be 
displayed in the from field in the second line. Next, enter the time 
signature you wish to change to in the to fields (2 parts) in the second 
line. To perform the change, press the <Do it> soft key. 



Rearranging the Track Order 

This feature rearranges the track order by removing one track and 
inserting it before another, causing all tracks in between to be re- 
numbered. Multiple operations may be required to put the tracks in the 
desired order. Select 2 (Chng track order) from the EDIT key menu and 
the following screen will appear: 



========== Change Track Order =========A 

Sequence: l-Seqnc^name 
Place track: 1-Track_name 
Before track: 2-Track_name 
(Tracks in between will be renumbered.) 



<Do it> 



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Chapter 4: Editing Sequences 



To rearrange tracks, enter the desired sequence number, source track 
number and destination track number in tine screen fields, then press 
<Do it> to execute the move. 



Inserting Blank Bars Into a Sequence 

This feature inserts a specified number of blank bars into the current 
sequence. Select option 3 (Insert blank bars) from the EDIT key menu, 
and the following screen will appear: 



========== Insert Blank Bars ==========A 

Sequence : 12-Sequence_name 
Number of bars : 4 
Time signature: 4/ 4 
Insert before bar: 4 



<Do it> 



The fields and soft key are: 

• The Sequence field: 

This Is the sequence Into which the bars will be Inserted. The sequence's 
name Is shown to the right. 

• The Number of bars field: 

This is the number of blank bars to be Inserted. 

• The Time signature field: 

This is the time signature of the bars to be Inserted. This is actually two 
fields — one for each part of the time signature. The range of the first part 
is from 1 to 31 ; the second part Is a choice field with four selections: 4, 8, 
16, and 32. 

• The Insert before bar field: 

This field specifies the bar number before which the new bars will be 
Inserted. To insert bars after the end of the sequence, enter a number 
one higher than that of the last bar in the sequence. 

• The <Do it> soft key: 

Pressing this soft key performs the insertion according to the above- 
displayed parameters. 

COMMENT: If tine sequence is set to loop to an earlier bar and 
the new bars are inserted before the loop bar, the bar number 
specified in the Loop field will automatically be increased to 
compensate for the insertion. 

Deleting Bars From a Sequence 



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Chapter 4: Editing Sequences 



This feature allows you to delete a specified number of bars from the 
active sequence. To use this feature, select option 4 (Delete bars) from 
the EDIT key menu. The following screen will be displayed: 



============== Delete Bars =======: 

Sequence : 12-Sequence_name 

First bar: 1 Last bar: 



<Do it> 



The on-screen fields and soft keys are: 

• The Sequence field: 

This is the sequence from which the bars will be deleted. The 
sequence's name is shown to the right. 

• The First bar field: 

This is the first bar to be deleted. 

• The Last bar field: 

This is the last bar to be deleted. 

COMMENT: Tills field hias a different function ttian ttie To bar 
field in tlie Version 2 software's Delete Bars function. This field 
contains the last bar of the range of bars to be deleted, whereas 
Version 2's To Bar field contained the first bar number after the 
region to be deleted. 

• The <Do it> soft key: 

Pressing this soft key performs the specified deletion. 

COMMENT: If the sequence is set to loop to an earlier bar (in 
the Play/Record screen) and the deleted bars are before the 
loop point, the bar number specified In the Loop field will 
automatically be decreased to compensate for the deletion. 



Copying Bars (All Tracks) 

This feature allows you to copy a specified range of bars (across all 

tracks) from one sequence and insert the copied data at any point within 
the same sequence or any other sequence. In this mode of copying, the 
overall length of the destination sequence will always be increased. To 
use this feature, select option 5 (Copy bars) from the EDIT key menu. 
The following screen will appear: 



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Chapter 4: Editing Sequences 



Copy Bars From 



■A 



Seq: 12-Sequence_name 
First bar: 1 



Last bar: 



2 



Copy Bars To 



Seq: 12-Sequence_name 



Before bar: 



1 



Copies: 1 



<Do it> 



The fields and soft key are described below: 

• The Seq field (in the Copy Bars From section): 

This field is used to specify the sequence number to be copied from. 

• The First bar and Last bar fields: 

These fields set the range of bars to be copied. First bar sets the first bar 
in the range that is to be copied, and Last bar sets the last bar to be 
copied. 

COMMENT: This field has a different function than the To bar 
field in the Version 2 software's Copy Bars function. This field 
contains the last bar of the range of bars to be copied, whereas 
Version 2's To Bar field contained the first bar number after the 
region to be copied. 

• The Seq field (in the Copy Bars To section): 

This field is used to specify the sequence number to be copied to. 

• The Before bar field: 

This field specifies the bar number before which the copied data will be 
inserted. To insert the bars at the end of the sequence, enter a number 
one higher than that of the last bar in the sequence. 

• The Copies field: 

This field specifies how many repetitions of the source data will be 
inserted into the destination sequence. 

• The <Do it> soft key: 

Pressing this soft key executes the copy according to the entered 
parameters. 

COMMENT: If the sequence is set to loop to an earlier bar and 
the copied bars are inserted before the loop bar, the bar number 
specified in the Loop field will automatically be increased to 
compensate for the insertion. Also, when copying from one 
sequence to another, be careful to copy MIDI track data only to 
MIDI tracks and Drum track data only to Drum tracks. Otherwise, 
keyboard notes can cause drum sounds to play or vice versa. 



This feature permits the copying of all events within a specified region of 
a single track to a different point in the same or another track in the 
same or another sequence. In this feature, only the events from the 



Copying Events 



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Chapter 4: Editing Sequences 



source track are copied — no time signature or tempo data are copied 
Unlike tine Copy Bars feature, which inserts the copied data into the 
sequence, thus increasing its overall length, this copy feature either 
replaces the existing events or merges the copied data with existing 
events, without adding additional bars. Therefore, in this feature, the 
track's overall length is unchanged after the copy has been executed. 

To use this feature, select option 6 (Copy events) from the EDIT key 
menu. The following screen will be displayed: 



=========== Copy Events From ==========A 

Sequence: 1 Track: 1-Track_name 
Ticks: 001. 01. 00-001. 01. 00 

Notes :ALL (Hit pads) 

============ Copy Events To ============ 

Sequence: 1 Track: 1-Track_name 

Mode : REPLACE Copies: 3 Start : 001 . 01 . 00 

<Do it> 



A description of the fields and soft key follows: 

• The Sequence field (in the Copy Events From section): 
This is the sequence from which the data will be copied. 

• The Track field (in the Copy Events From section): 

This is the track from which the data will be copied. Enter a 0 here to 
copy all tracks at once. If you do this, the lower Track field (in the Copy 
Events To section) will be forced to 0 also, because the destination must 
also be all tracks. 

• The Ticks fields: 

These two fields are used to set the region of the track that will be copied 
from, starting at the tick specified in the leftmost field and including all 
data up to (but not including) the tick specified in the rightmost field. 
These are bar.beat.tick fields, enabling you to specify the region in units 
as small as one tick. 

• The Notes field: 

This field determines which notes will be copied. It appears in one of two 
ways depending on whether the selected track is a Drum track or a IVIIDI 

track: 

1 . If the source track is a Drum track, this field is used to select 
the specific drum notes, represented as IVIIDI note numbers, 
that are to be copied. It cannot be accessed with the cursor; 
notes can only be entered by pressing pads or via the 
reception of external IVIIDI notes. When the screen is first 
displayed, it contains the word ALL (copy all notes) and the 
text (Hit pads) to the right. When a pad is pressed, the pad's 
currently assigned note number appears in the field, followed 
by the pad number and currently assigned sound name. On 
the right side of the line is the text ( 1 pad ) indicating that 1 
pad is selected for copying: 



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Chapter 4: Editing Sequences 



Notes:36/A02-SNARE_DRUM ( 1 pad ) 

If another pad is pressed, its note number, pad number, and 
assigned sound are displayed instead, and the text to the 
right displays ( 2 pads). This continues until the user has 
selected all of the pads he or she intends to copy. 

2. If the source track is a MIDI track, two numeric fields — used to 
set the lowest and highest notes of the note range that is to 
be erased — will appear. Each of these numeric fields is 
editable via the cursor and has a range of 0 to 127. 
Alternately, these fields can be set by pressing two notes on 
the MIDI input device's keyboard. The fields will automatically 
be set to the lowest and highest keys pressed. 

• The Sequence field (in the Copy Events To section): 
This is the sequence into which the data will be copied. 

• The Track field (in the Copy Events To section): 

This is the track to be copied to. If this field can't be changed from 0 — (all 
tracks), then the upper Track field (in the Copy Events From section) 
must have been set to 0, indicating that all tracks will be copied. 

• The Mode field: 

This is a choice field with two options: 

1 . REPLACE: 

In this mode, all existing events in the destination track are 
overwritten by the newly copied data. 

2. MERGE: 

The copied data are merged into the existing events. 

• The Copies field: 

This field specifies the number of repetitions of the copied data that will 
be added to the new sequence. 

• The Start field: 

The copied data can be added into the destination sequence and track 
starting at any location. This field specifies the start location where the 
copied data will be placed. This is a bar.beat.tick field. 

• The <Do it> soft key: 

Pressing this soft key performs the copy as specified in the above fields. 

COMMENT : Be careful to copy MIDI track data only to MIDI 
tracks and Drum track data only to Drum tracks. Otherwise, 
keyboard notes can cause drum sounds to play or vice versa. 

Copying an Entire Sequence to Anothier 

This feature is useful if you want to make a perfect copy of a sequence, 
including all parameters, to another sequence number, replacing all data 
and parameters previously contained in the destination sequence. To 
use this feature, select option 7 (Copy a sequence) from the EDIT key 
menu. The following screen will appear: 



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Chapter 4: Editing Sequences 



Copy One Sequence 


To Another ====A 


Copy contents of seq: 1 


-Sequence_name 


Over contents of seq: 2- 


-Sequence_name 


<Do it> 



A description of tlie screen fields and soft l<eys follows: 



• The Copy contents of seq field: 

This specifies the sequence to be copied from. 

• The Over contents of seq field: 

This specifies the sequence whose contents will be replaced by the 
contents of the above specified sequence number. The lowest-numbered 
empty sequence is automatically inserted here when this screen is 
entered. 

• The <Do it> soft l<ey: 

Pressing this soft key perfomns the above specified copy. 



Shifting tlie Timing of IVIany Notes 

This feature shifts a group of notes within a single track fon/vard or 
backward in time. To use this feature, select 8 (Shift timing) from the 
EDIT key menu. The following screen will appear: 



============= Shift Timing ============A 

Seqnc: 1-Sequence_name Dir: EARLIER 

Track: 1-Track_name Amount: 0 

Ticks: 001 . 01 . 00-001 . 01 . 00 
Notes: 0 (C . -2 ) -127 (G . 8 ) (Press keys) 



<Do it> 



The fields and soft keys are: 

• The Seqnc field: 

This specifies the sequence to be shifted. 

• The Track field: 

This specifies the track to be shifted. Only one track can be shifted at a 
time. 



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Chapter 4: Editing Sequences 



• The Ticks fields: 

These two bar.beat.ticl< fields are used to determine the region within the 
track that will be shifted. The leftmost field sets the start point of the 
region and the rightmost field holds the location that is one tick after the 
region to be shifted. 

• The Notes field: 

This field determines which notes will be shifted. It appears in one of two 
ways depending on whether the selected track is a drum or MIDI track: 

1 . If the source track is a MIDI track, two numeric fields — used to 
set the lowest and highest notes of the note range that is to 
be shifted — appear as above. Each of these numeric fields is 
editable via the cursor, and has a range of 0 to 127; the 
equivalent note name (C-2 to G8) is shown to the right of 
each field. Alternately, these fields can be set by pressing two 
notes on the MIDI input device's keyboard. The fields will 
automatically be set to the lowest and highest keys pressed. 

2. If the source track is a Drum track, this field is used to select 
specific drum notes, represented as MIDI note numbers, that 
are to be copied. It cannot be accessed with the cursor; notes 
can only be entered by pressing pads or via the reception of 
external MIDI notes. When the screen is first displayed, it 
contains the word ALL (shift all notes) and the text (Hit pads) 
to the right. When a pad is pressed, the pad's currently 
assigned note number appears in the field, followed by the 
pad number and currently assigned sound name. On the right 
side of the line is the text ( 1 pad ) indicating that one pad is 
selected for shifting: 

Notes:36/A02-SNARE_DRUM ( 1 pad ) 

If another pad is then pressed, its note number, pad number, 
and assigned sound are displayed instead, and the text to the 
right displays ( 2 pads). This continues until the user has 
selected all of the pads he or she intends to shift. 

• The Dir (direction) field: 

This choice field is used to detennine the direction of shift and has two 
options: EARLIER and LATER. 

• The Amount field: 

This field is used to determine the amount of shift in ticks. 

• The <Do it> soft key: 

Pressing this soft key performs the shift specified in the above fields. 

Global Editing of Note Event Data 

If option 9 (Edit note data) is selected from the EDIT key menu, the 
following menu, which contains three choices for editing note data, 
appears: 



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============ Edit Note Data ===========a 

1. Edit velocity/duration 

2. Edit note number assignment 

3. Edit note variation data 



Select option: 



These these functions are described in the three sections below. 



Editing Note Velocity or Duration Data 

To edit the velocity or duration data of a group of notes in one operation, 
select 1 from the Edit Note Data menu. The following screen will appear: 



======== Edit Velocity/Duration =======A 

Seqnc: 1-Seqnc_name Edit : VELOCITY 

Track: 1-Track_name Do: ADD VALUE 

Ticks :001. 01. 00-001. 01. 00 Value: 12 0 
Notes: 0 (C . -2 ) -127 (G . 8 ) (Press keys) 



<Do it> 



The fields and soft keys are: 

• The Seqnc field: 

This specifies the sequence to be edited. 

• The Track field: 

This specifies the track to be edited. Only one track can be edited at a 
time. 

• The Ticks fields: 

These two bar.beat.tick fields are used to detemnine the region within the 

track that will be edited. The leftmost field sets the start of the region and 
the rightmost field holds a location one tick after the region to be edited. 

• The Notes field: 

This field determines which notes will be edited. As shown above, it 
appears in one of two ways depending on whether the selected track is a 
Drum or MIDI track: 

1 . If the source track is a MIDI track, two numeric fields — used to 
set the lowest and highest notes of the note range that is 
selected for editing — appear as above. Each of these numeric 
fields is editable via the cursor, and has a range of 0 to 127; 



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Chapter 4: Editing Sequences 



the equivalent note name (C-2 to G8) is shown to the right of 
each field. Alternately, these fields can be set by pressing two 
notes on the MIDI input device's keyboard. The fields will 
automatically be set to the lowest and highest keys pressed. 
2. If the source track is a Drum track, this field is used to select 
specific drum notes, represented by MIDI note numbers, that 
are to be edited. This field cannot be accessed by the 
cursor— it can only be changed by pressing pads or receiving 
external MIDI notes. When the screen is first displayed, it 
contains the word ALL (edit all notes) and the text (Hit pads) 
to the right. When a pad is pressed, the pad's currently 
assigned note number appears in the field, followed by the 
pad number and currently-assigned sound name. On the right 
side of the line is the text ( 1 pad ) indicating that one pad is 
selected for editing: 

Notes:36/A02-SNARE_DRUM ( 1 pad ) 

If another pad is then pressed, its note number, pad number, 
and assigned sound are displayed instead, and the text to the 
right displays ( 2 pads). This continues until you have 
selected all of the pads you intend to edit. 

•The Edit field: 

This is a choice field with two options: VELOCITY and DURATION. It is 
used to select which of these two parameters will be affected. 

• The Do field: 

This is a choice field with four options: 

1 . ADD VALUE: This selection adds the number in the Value 
field to the velocity or duration of each note that has been 
selected for editing. 

2. SUB VALUE: This selection subtracts the number in the Value 
field from the velocity or duration of each note that has been 
selected for editing. 

3. MULT VAL %: This selection multiplies the velocity or duration 
of each note that has been selected for editing by the number 
in the Value field. A value of 100% = no change; values of 
101 to 200% proportionally increase each note's velocity or 
duration value; values of 0 to 99% proportionally decrease 
each note's velocity or duration value. 

4. SET TO VAL: This selection changes the velocity or duration 
of each note that has been selected for editing to the number 
in the Value field. 

• The Value field: 

This field works in conjunction with the Do field and sets the number that 
will be used to change the velocities or durations. 

• The <Do it> soft key: 

Pressing this soft key performs the edit specified in the above fields. 



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Chapter 4: Editing Sequences 



Editing Note Number Assignment of Drum Note Events 

This feature affects Drum tracks only. It is used to change all notes of 
one drum to that of another drum. It does this by searching for all drum 
notes of the specified note number and changing them to another note 
number assignment. To change the note number assignment of a group 
of notes, select 2 (Edit note number assignment) from the Edit Note Data 
menu; the following screen will appear: 



Edit Note Number Assignment — 


A 


Seqnc: 1-Seqnc_name 




Track: 1-Track name 




Ticks: 001. 01. 00-001. 01. 00 




Change notes : 64 /AO l-Sound_name 




To notes : 65/A07-Sound_name 




<Do it> 



The fields and soft keys are: 



• The Seqnc field: 

This specifies the sequence to be edited. 

• The Track field: 

This specifies the track to be edited. Only one track can be edited at a 
time. Since this feature only works on Dmm tracks, if a IVIIDI track is 
selected the message "You must select a drums track" will appear. 

• The Ticks fields: 

These two bar.beat.tick fields are used to determine the region within the 
track that will be edited. The leftmost field sets the start of the region and 
the rightmost field holds a location that is one tick after the region to be 

edited. 

• The Change notes field: 

This field is used to determine which drum notes will be affected. While 
the cursor is in this field, press the pad of the drum notes to be 
changed — its currently assigned note number and sound will appear in 
the field. (You can also send a Note On message to the IVIIDI input or 
enter the note number directly.) Only drum notes assigned to this note 
number will be changed. 

• The To notes field: 

This field determines the note number to which the selected drum notes 
will be reassigned. While the cursor is in this field, press the pad of the 
drum note to be changed to — its currently assigned note number and 
sound will appear in the field. (You can also send a Note On message to 
the IVIIDI input or enter the note number directly.) 

• The <Do it> soft key: 

Pressing this soft key performs the edit as specified in the above fields. 



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Chapter 4: Editing Sequences 



Editing Note Variation Data of Drum Note Events 

This feature affects Drum tracks only and is used to edit tine Note 
Variation data of many drum notes in one operation. Select 3 (Edit note 
variation data) from the Edit Note Data menu. The following screen will 
appear: 



======= Edit Note Variation Data ======A 

Seqnc: 1-Seqnc_name 
Track: 1-Track_name 
Ticks : 001 . 01 . 00-003 .01.00 

Notes :ALL (Hit pads) 

Set notes to param: TUNING & Value: 0 



<Do it> 



The fields and soft keys are: 

• The Seqnc field: 

This specifies the sequence to be edited. 

• The Track field: 

This specifies the track to be edited. Only one track can be edited at a 
time. Since this feature works only on Drum tracks, if a MIDI track is 
selected the message "You must select a drums track" will appear. 

• The Ticks fields: 

These two bar.beat.tick fields are used to determine the region within the 
track that will be edited. The leftmost field sets the start of the region and 
the rightmost field holds a location that is one tick after the region to be 
edited. 

• The Notes field: 

This field determines which notes will be affected. It cannot be accessed 
by the cursor. It can only be changed by pressing pads or receiving 
external MIDI notes. When the screen is first displayed, it appears as 
shown above with the word ALL (affect all notes) and the text (Hit pads) 
to the right. When a pad is pressed, the pad's currently assigned note 
number appears in the field, followed by the pad number and currently 
assigned sound name. On the right side of the line is the text ( 1 pad ) 
indicating that one pad is selected for editing: 

Notes:36/A02-SNARE_DRUM ( 1 pad ) 

If another pad is then pressed, its note number, pad number, and 
assigned sound are displayed instead, and the text to the right displays ( 
2 pads). This continues until you have selected all of the pads you intend 

to edit. 

• The Set notes to param field: 

This choice field detemriines to which parameter (TUNING, ATTACK, or 
DECAY) the selected notes' Note Variation parameter will be set. 



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Chapter 4: Editing Sequences 



• The Value field: 

This field selects what value of tuning, attack, or decay the selected 
notes' Note Variation data will be set to. 

• The <Do it> soft key: 

Pressing this key performs the edit as specified in the above fields. 



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Chapter 4: Editing Sequences 



The STEP EDIT Key 



The Step Edit feature allows the contents of the active track to be edited 

in precise detail. Wlien the Step Edit key is pressed, any notes or events 
tinat exist in the active track at the current sequence position are 
displayed on the screen as a series of data fields, which can then be 
edited. Also, any notes played at this time are recorded into the active 
track at the current sequence position. 

To enter step edit mode, press the STEP EDIT key. The following screen 
will appear, displaying any notes or events that exist in the active track at 
the current sequence position: 



============== Step Edit ==============A 

>N: 64/A01-Sound_na V:127 Tun:-120 D: 96 
Program_change Val:127 
Pitch_bend Val:+ 0 

Channel_pressure Val:127 
Control : C1-M0DULATI0N_WHEEL Val : 127 

===== Now: 001 . 01 . 00 (00:00:00:00) ====== 

<Insert> <Delete> <PlayEvent> <Options> 



A description of the fields and soft keys follows: 

• The event display area (lines 2 through 6 of the LCD screen). 

This area of the screen displays up to five events, one per line, that exist 

in the active track at the sequence location displayed in the Now field. 
These events are most commonly notes (either drum or keyboard notes, 
depending on whether the active track is a Drum track or a IVIIDI track), 
but they can also be one of a number of special MIDI message types. 
The format of each of the various event types is described in detail later 
in this chapter, in the "Step Edit Event Types" section. The event 
positioned at the uppermost line (preceded by the >) is called the active 
event. It is the only event whose fields can be edited by the cursor. 

• The Now field: 

The field shows the current position within the sequence. As in the 
Play/Record screen, this value is changed by using the REWIND, FAST 
FORWARD, and LOCATE keys. As this value changes, the event display 
area is continually updated to display the events contained at the newly- 
displayed location. 



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Chapter 4: Editing Sequences 



• SOFT KEY 1 (<lnsert> or <Paste>): 

This soft key has one of two functions, depending on the current setting 
of the Function of soft key 1&2 field in tlie Step Edit Options screen 
(described below): 

1 . <lnsert>: When pressed, a new event is inserted at the current 
sequence position. The type of event inserted is determined 
by the Event to insert field in the Step Edit Options screen. 

2. <Paste>: Pressing this key inserts a copy of the event last 
removed from the tracl< by using the <Cut> soft key. If the 
<Cut> soft key has not been used since turning the power on, 
nothing will be inserted. 

• SOFT KEY 2 (<Delete> or <Cut>): 

This soft key has one of two functions, depending on the current setting 
of the Function of soft key 1 &2 field in the Step Edit Options screen: 

1. <Delete>: When pressed, the active event is deleted from the 
screen. The active event is the event at the uppermost line of 
the screen (preceded by the >). 

2. <Cut>: When pressed, the active event is deleted from the 
screen and saved internally. If the <Paste> soft key is then 
pressed, a copy of that stored event will be inserted into the 
screen. 

• SOFT KEY 3 (<PlayEvent>): 

Pressing this soft key causes the active event to be played. The active 
event is the event at the uppermost line of the screen (preceded by the 
>)■ 

• SOFT KEY 4 (<Options>): 

Pressing this soft key causes the Step Edit Options screen, described 
later in this chapter, to appear. 



Using Step Edit 

To use Step Edit to edit recorded events: 

1. Press STEP EDIT. The Now field will change to the nearest 
step. A step is defined as a specific note timing value, 1/8 
notes through 1/32 triplets, set in the Note value field in the 
Timing Correct screen. Any notes or other MIDI events 
existing in the active track at that location will be displayed on 
the screen. 

2. Use the REWIND, FAST FORWARD, or LOCATE keys to find 
the desired location within the sequence. As in the 
Play/Record screen, the [«] and [»] keys move to the 
previous or next bar boundary and the [<] and [>] keys move 
to the previous or next step within the active track. (It is also 
possible to change the function of the [<] and [>] keys to 
search fon/vard or backward to the next ei/enf within the track. 
This option is selected in the Step Edit Options screen.) 

3. You can now edit any of the data fields for any of the 
displayed events by moving the cursor to the desired field and 



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Chapter 4: Editing Sequences 



editing it. Also, any notes played from the pads or external 
MIDI keyboard at this time will be recorded into this location 
and immediately displayed on the screen. 

4. To view other locations within the sequence, use the 
REWIND, FAST FORWARD, and LOCATE keys. 

5. Once you're finished editing, press MAIN SCREEN to return 
to the Play/Record screen. 

Of the five on-screen events, only the uppermost line can be edited. It is 
edited by moving the cursor to the desired field within the line and editing 
the field contents. This uppermost line is called the active event, and is 
preceded by a >. To edit an event, it must be moved up to the active 
event line using the CURSOR UP and CURSOR DOWN keys. 

Use the [<] or [>] key to move to the previous or next step within the 
active track, and the [«] or [»] key to move to the previous or next bar 
boundary. 

As you move through the sequence, any events in the active track at that 
position will be displayed on the screen, and any events (on all tracks) at 
the current position will be played (output through MIDI). If you don't 
want to hear a particular track, turn that track OFF in the Play/Record 
screen; if you want to hear only the active track, turn solo mode to ON in 
the Play/Record screen. To edit any of the fields in the active event 
(uppermost line), move the cursor left or right to the desired field and 
change the contents as desired. If there are multiple events at that step, 
they will be displayed on the other on-screen event lines. Use the 
CURSOR UP or CURSOR DOWN keys to access different events by 
scrolling the screen's five-line window UP or DOWN, thereby moving 
higher- or lower-numbered events to the active event line. 

COMMENT: All mid-sequence control messages, including the 
1 28 Controllers, Pitch Bend, Program Change, Mixer Volume, 
Mixer Pan, and Individual Out/Echo Send Level, only take effect 
after being played in a sequence. This means that if you play a 
section of a sequence that contains a specific controller event, 
the last played value of that controller will remain active until 
another occurrence of the same controller is played — even if you 
stop the sequence and start playing it from another location. 
Because of this, whenever you use one of these events within a 
sequence, it is important to insert another event of the same type 
at the beginning of the sequence to set the controller to an initial 
value. 



Step Edit Event Types 

The Step Edit screen can display up to five events, one on each line, that 
exist in the active track at the current Now field position. The format of 
the event line is different for each type of event. The following is a 
description of each event type: 

• The Drum Note event 



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Chapter 4: Editing Sequences 



>N: 64/A01-My_Sound V: 127 Tun:-120 D: 96 



The fields are: 

1. The Note Number field (N:64/A01-My_Sound): 

This is the note number assignment (35-98) of the drum note 

event. 

2. The Pad Number field (N:64/A01-Mv Sound): 

This is the pad number (A01-D16) that is currently assigned 
to the note number displayed to the left. This field is for 
display only and cannot be edited. 

3. The Sound Name field (N:64/A01- Mv Sound ): 

This field shows the first eight characters of the sound name 
currently assigned (in the active program) to the note number 
selected to the left. This field is for display only and cannot be 
edited. 

4. The Velocity field (V:127): 

This is the velocity of the drum note. 

5. The Note Variation Parameter field (Tun:-120): 

Each drum note contains Note Variation data, a unique value 
of either tuning, attack, or decay, for that note only. This field 
determines which of those three parameters is contained in 
this note, and therefore which of those three sound 
parameters will be affected when this note plays. There are 
three options: TUN (tuning), DCY (decay), or ATK (attack). 

6. The Note Variation Data field (Tun: -120 ): 

This field works in conjunction with the Note Variation 
Parameter field to the left. It contains the data for the 
parameter selected in that field. If the parameter is set to 
TUN, the range is -120 to 120 tenths of a semitone. When set 
to either ATK or DCY, the range is from 0 to 5000 
milliseconds. 

7. The Duration field (D: 96): 

This field shows the note duration in ticks (96 ticks = one 
quarter note). The range is 1-9999 ticks. 

• The MIDI Note event 



>Note: 60(C.3 ) V:127 "V: 64 D: 96 



The fields are: 

1. The Note Number field (Note:^(C.3 ): 

This is the MIDI note number (0-127) of the note, indicating 
the pitch. 

2. The Note Name field (Note: 60(C.3 )): 

This field shows the note name (C-2 to G8) for the note 
number shown to the left. 

3. The Velocity field (V:127): 

This is the Note On velocity of the note. 

4. The Release Velocity field (^V: 64): 
This is the release velocity of the note. 



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Chapter 4: Editing Sequences 



5. The Duration field (D: 96): 

This field shows the note duration in ticks (96 ticl<s = one 
quarter note). The range is 1-9999 ticks. 

The Program Change event 



>Program_change 


Val: 1 


The single field, Val, with a range of 1- 


-128, is used to select the IVIIDI 


program number. 




• The Pitch Bend event 




>Pitch_bend 


Val:+ 0 







The single field, Val, contains the actual numeric value of the pitch bend 
event. It is a signed field, with a range from -8192 to 8191. 

• The Channel Pressure event 



>Channel_pressure Val: 127 



The single field, Val, has a range of 0-127. 
• The Poly Pressure event 



>Poly_pressure Note: 60 (C. 3 ) Val: 127 



There are three fields: 

1. The Note Number field (Note: 6g(C.3 )): 

This is the note to which the pressure message applies. 

2. The Note Name field (Note: 6Q<C.3 )): 

This is the note name for the note number selected at the left. 
This is for display only and cannot be edited. 

3. The Value field (Val: 127) : 

This is the pressure value for the selected note number (0 to 
127). 

• The System-Exclusive event 



>System_exc Size: 1 Byte: 1 Val: 0 



There are three fields: 

1 . The Size field: 



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Chapter 4: Editing Sequences 



This displays tine total number of data bytes. The maximum 
size of a system-exclusive event in the MPC60 is 999 bytes. 

2. The Byte field: 

The number of the byte whose contents are currently 
displayed in the Val field. 

3. The Val field: 

The current value of the byte number displayed in the Byte 
field. 



• The Stereo Volume event 



>Stereo_volume 


PadiAOl 


Val : 100 









This message is exclusive to the IVIPC60 and is used to change the 
Stereo IVIixer Volume setting of a particular sound in mid-sequence. 
When the Record mix changes feature is used (accessed by pressing 
DRUIVI IVIIX, then 4), many of these events are recorded into the active 
track to simulate a smooth and continuous mixer volume change. There 
are two fields: 

1. The Pad field: 

This field determines which of the 64 pad numbers/mixer 
sliders (A01-D16) this message will affect. 

2. The Val field: 

This field contains the actual mixer slider value (0-100). 

• The Stereo Pan event 



>Stereo_pan PadiAOl Val:C 



This message is exclusive to the IVIPCGO and is used to change the 
stereo mixer pan setting of a particular sound in mid-sequence. When 
the Record mix changes feature is used (accessed by pressing DRUIVI 
IVIIX, then 4), many of these events are recorded into the active track to 
simulate a smooth and continuous mixer pan change. There are two 
fields: 

1 . The Pad field: 

This field determines which of the 64 pad numbers/pan pots 
(A01-D16) this message will affect. 

2. The Val field: 

This field contains the actual pan pot value (SOL - C - 50R). 

• The Echo Send Level event 



>Echo_send_level 


Pad:A01 


Val: 127 









This message is exclusive to the IVIPC60 and is used to change the 
individual echo send level setting of a particular sound in mid-sequence 
When the Record Live Changes feature is used (accessed by pressing 
DRUIVI MIX, then 4), many of these events are recorded into the active 



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Chapter 4: Editing Sequences 



track to simulate a smooth and continuous individual eclio send level 
change. There are two fields: 

1. The Pad field: 

This field determines which of the 64 pad numbers/mixer 
sliders (A01-D16) this message affects. 

2. The Val field: 

This field contains the actual mixer slider value (0-100). 

• The Control Change event 



>Control:Cl-MODULATION WHEEL Val: 127 



There are two fields: 

1 . The Control field (Control: C1 -MODULATION WHEEL ): 
There are 128 IVIIDI continuous controllers (0-127), each with 
an assigned control function. The control function, as defined 
in the MID1 1.0 Detailed Specification, is displayed to the right 
of the selected controller number. 

2. The Val field (Val:127): 

This field contains the data value of the displayed controller 
event. 

• The Tune Request event 



>Tune request 



This event type has no data fields. 



Step Edit Options 

Pressing the <Options> soft key in the Step Edit screen displays the 
following screen: 



=========== Step Edit Options =========A 

Event to insert :NOTES 

Auto step increment on key release :N0 
Duration of recorded notes: AS PLAYED 
Function of soft key 1&2 : PASTE/CUT 
Function of '<' and '>' keys: NEXT EVENT 
======= Step Edit Display Filter ======= 

View: ALL EVENTS 



This screen presents a number of options related to use of the Step Edit 
feature: 



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Chapter 4: Editing Sequences 



• The Event to insert field: 

TInis parameter selects which type of MIDI event will be inserted when 
the <lnsert> soft key from the Step Edit screen is pressed. The options 
include all the available MIDI event types and 128 MIDI controllers. If one 
of these controllers is selected, the name assigned to that controller 
number is also displayed. 

• The Auto step increment on key release field: 

If set to YES, the Step Edit screen's Now field will automatically move 
forward one step (as defined by the timing value set in the Note Value 
field of the Timing Correct screen) after each key from the MIDI 
keyboard is released or, if a chord was played, after the last key from the 
chord is released. (If the active track is a Drum track, the Now field will 
increment after a pad is released.) This allows, for example, the 
recording of a series of notes or chords, one on each step, without 
having to advance manually to the next step after playing each key. If 
this field is set to NO, this function is defeated. 



• The Duration of recorded notes field: 

This field is used while in Step Edit mode to determine the method by 
which durations are assigned to notes recorded from a MIDI keyboard or 
the MPC60 pads. This is a choice field and has two options: SAME AS 
STEP and AS PLAYED: 

1 . If set to SAME AS STEP, durations are always four ticks less 
than the current step size (the current Note Value field setting 
in the Timing Correct screen). 

2. If set to AS PLAYED, the actual time the note is held (relative 
to the current tempo) is used for the duration value, even 
though the sequence is not playing. To guide your timing, if a 
key is held down longer than one 1/4-note, a metronome click 
plays exactly one 1/4-note after the key is depressed, and 
sounds again for each additional 1/4-note the key is held 
down. For example, if you wanted to record a note with a 
duration of one 1/2-note, you would play the key and release 
it after two metronome clicks were heard. 

• The Function of soft key 1&2 field: 

This choice field is used to detennine the functions of soft keys 1 and 2. 
It has two options: 

1. INSERT/DELETE: 

The functions of soft keys 1 and 2 are <lnsert> and <Delete>. 
<lnsert> causes an event to be inserted onto the screen. The 
type of event is determined by the setting of the Event to 
insert field above. <Delete> removes the active event from 
the screen. 

2. PASTE/CUT. 

The functions of soft keys 1 and 2 are <Paste> and <Cut>. 
<Cut> deletes the active event from the screen and saves a 
copy of it internally. <Paste> inserts onto the screen a copy of 
the event most recently cut. 

• The Function of '<' And '>' keys field: 

This choice field is used to determine the function of the REWIND [<] 
and FAST FORWARD [>] keys. It has two options: 



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Chapter 4: Editing Sequences 



1. NEXTSTEP: 

This is tlie default setting. Pressing the REWIND [<] l<ey 
moves to the previous step within the sequence. Pressing the 
FAST FORWARD [>] l<ey moves to the next step within the 
sequence. (The timing value of a step is set in the Timing 
Correct screen's Note Value field.) 

COMMENT: Iftlie current setting of the Swing% field 
is set to a value other than 50%, pressing the 
REWIND [<] and FAST FORARD [>] keys will move 
forward or backward to locations that fall on swing 
timing intervals. If you are editing a sequence that 
contains 1/16-notes recorded at a swing setting of 
50%, the even-numbered 1/16-notes will NOT be 
heard as you step through the sequence, because 
only notes existing in swung 1/1 6-note locations will 
be viewed. This same rule applies to the Shift Timing 
feature: if the Shift Amount field is set to 0 and you 
are editing a sequence that was recorded while it was 
set to any amount other than 0, none of the notes will 
be seen as you step through the sequence, because 
these notes fall on shifted locations, and you are 
currently viewing only those notes that fall on non- 
shifted locations. 

2. NEXT EVENT: 

Pressing the REWIND [<] l<ey searches to the previous event 
within the track. Pressing the FAST FORWARD [>] key 

searches to the next event within the track. To search for 
specific event types, set the Step Edit Display Filter to the 
desired event type; pressing these keys will then cause the 
IVIPCeO to locate to the next or previous event of the specified 
type, ignoring event types not included in the display filter 
settings. 



• The Step Edit Display Filter section. 

This is similar to the erase filter or the IVIIDI input filter, except this one 
controls which types of IVIIDI events are displayed in the Step Edit 
screen. For example, if the only events you want to edit are pitch bend 
messages, it is bothersome to view all the other events. Another use is to 
filter out continuous controller data to make it easier to view only the note 
events. 

To use the display filter, move the cursor to the View field. This is a 
choice field with three options: 

1 . ALL EVENTS: If this option is selected, all possible event 
types will be displayed. 

2. ONLY VIEW: If this option is selected, only one event type can 
be displayed, and the type of event to be displayed is 
selected in a new field appearing directly to the right on the 
same line. In this rightmost field all event types are listed, 
including all 128 MIDI controllers, each one individually 
named as listed in the MID1 1.0 Detailed Specification. 



Page 93 



Chapter 4: Editing Sequences 



3. ALL EXCEPT: This option is similar to ONLY VIEW, detailed 
above, except that all event types except the event displayed 
to the right of the words ALL EXCEPT are displayed. 



Step Recording 

step Edit also maizes it possible to record new notes from a MIDI 
keyboard while the sequence is not playing. To record a note while in 
Step Edit mode, move to the desired position within the sequence, then 
play and release the desired note on the MIDI keyboard. This note will 
then appear as the new active event, with its pitch, velocity, release 
velocity, and duration displayed numerically. The duration of the note is 
taken from the actual duration played, relative to the current tempo. 
However, if the Duration of recorded notes field in the Step Edit Options 
screen is set to SAME AS STEP, The duration always defaults to the 
current step value. 

If the Auto step increment on key release field in the Step Edit Options 
screen is set to YES, the current position within the sequence will 

automatically advance one step fon/vard when the newly recorded note 
(or chord) is released. This allow you to, for example, record a series of 
notes (or chords) one at a time while stopped, and automatically play 
them back with evenly spaced timing. To do this: 

1 . Set up your sequence and track for recording from your MIDI 
keyboard as you would to record in real time. 

2. In the Timing Correct screen, set the Note value field to the 
desired step value. 

3. Rewind to the start of the sequence. 

4. Press STEP EDIT. 

5. Press SOFT KEY 4, <Options>. 

6. Set the Auto step increment on key release field to YES. 

7. Press STEP EDIT again. 

8. Play a series of notes (or chords), one at a time. 

9. Press PLAY START. The notes you have just entered will play 
back with evenly spaced timing. 



Page 94 



Chapter 4: Editing Sequences 



The EDIT LOOP Key 

This feature allows a specified number of bars within a sequence to 
repeat in a loop while playing or overdubblng. This allows for quick 
recording or editing of the looped section. Press EDIT LOOP and the 
following screen will be displayed: 



============== Edit Loop ==============A 

# of Bars:2 1st bar:54 



<Turn On> 



The screen fields and soft keys are: 

• The # of bars field: 

This field specifies the number of bars that will be looped when the edit 

loop is turned on. 

• The 1st bar field: 

This field specifies the starting bar of the edit loop. The current bar 
number Is automatically Inserted here. 

• The <Turn On> soft key: 

Pressing this soft key turns the edit loop on. It also causes the 
Play/Record screen to be displayed and the Edit Loop light to go on, 
indicating that an edit loop Is active. 



If EDIT LOOP is again pressed while an edit loop Is active, the same 
screen will appear, but with two changes: 

1 . The first two fields are displayed, but all changes are locked out. 

2. The bottom line changes to: 

<Turn off> <Undo & off> 



If SOFT KEY 1 , <Turn off>, is pressed at this time, the edit loop will be 
turned off, returning the sequence to Its normal operation. However, If 
SOFT KEY 2, <Undo & off>, is pressed, the loop is turned off, but ail 
changes made while the loop was on are not used and the sequence 
returns to its status before the loop was turned on. In either case, the 
Edit Loop light is turned off and the display returns to the Play/Record 
screen. 



Page 95 



Chapter 4: Editing Sequences 



Using Edit Loop as an Undo Function 

Because the Edit Loop feature allows you the option of ignoring all 
recording and editing that was done while Edit Loop was on, it serves 
very well as an undo function. 

For example, if you want to record a drum fill on bar 4 of a 4-bar 
sequence, but you aren't sure if you want to keep it, following these 
steps will allow you to try the fill, then restore the sequence to its original 
state if you don't like it: 

1 . Fast forward to bar 4. 

2. Press EDIT LOOP. 

3. Set the Number of bars field to 1 . 

4. Press SOFT KEY 1, <Turn on>, which will turn the Edit Loop 
on. Bar 4 will now repeatedly play in a loop. 

5. Overdub your drum fill. 

6. Press EDIT LOOP again. 

7. If you didn't like how the fill sounded, press SOFT KEY 2, 
<Undo & off>, and the sequence will return to its original 
state. If you want to keep the fill, press SOFT KEY 1 (<Turn 
off>) and the sequence will now contain the new drum fill. 



Page 96 



Chapter 4: Editing Sequences 



The TRANSPOSE Key 



This feature allows you to transpose a track up or down by a specified 

amount in real time. Transposition is only a temporary change — the 
sequence data are not altered unless SOFT KEY 1, <Transpose 
Permanent>, is pressed. Also, the MPC60 does not transpose Drum 
tracks — only MIDI tracks can be transposed. (Though if you ofo wantto 
transpose a Drum track, temporarily changing its type to MIDI on the 
Play/Record screen will allow you to transpose it. Make sure to change it 
back to DRUM when you're done.) Pressing TRANSPOSE causes the 
following screen to appear: 



============== Transpose ■' 

Track: 0- (all tracks) Amount: 0 

(Play synth key to set amount) 
========== Transpose Permanent ========= 

Ticks : 001 . 01 . 00-003 .01.00 



<Transpose permanent> 



The following is a description of each of the screen fields and soft keys: 

• The Track field: 

The field specifies the track that will be transposed. Enter a 0 here if you 
want all tracks (except Drum tracks) to be transposed simultaneously. If 
you enter a 0 here, then when you re-enter the screen, the 0 will still be 
selected. However, if you enter any real track number, then the next time 
you enter this screen the active track will be entered automatically. 

• The Amount field: 

This field sets the amount and direction of transposition in semitones. 
For example, to transpose up a fifth, enter a 7. To transpose down a 
fourth, turn the data entry knob to the left until -5 appears. A much faster 
way to set this field is simply to press a key on the MIDI keyboard — the 
amount will be automatically set by the location of the key in relation to 
Middle C. For example, pressing a key one octave below Middle C would 
set the Amount field to -12. If the Amount field is set to any value other 
than 0, the transpose light will go on, indicating that the transpose 
function is active. It will turn off when this field is retumed to 0, or if 
<Transpose permanent> is pressed. 

• The Ticks fields: 

These two bar.beat.tick fields specify the region to be permanently 
transposed when the <Transpose permanent> soft key is pressed. The 
first field (before the dash) sets the start of the region and the second 
field sets a location one tick after the last tick of the region to be 
transposed. 

• The <Transpose permanent> soft key: 



Page 97 



Chapter 4: Editing Sequences 



Pressing this soft key causes tine above-specified transposition to be 
made permanent by actually changing each of the note events within the 
specified region of the sequence. After this operation, the Amount field is 
reset to 0 and the transpose light goes off. 



Transposing in Reai Time Wliiie Piaying 

To transpose a sequence in real time while playing, follow these steps: 

1 . Play the sequence. 

2. Press the TRANSPOSE key. 

3. IVIake sure the Track field is set to 0. 

4. Locate IVIiddle C on the keyboard. Pressing any key above IVIiddle C 
will instantly transpose the sequence up by an amount equal to the 
interval between the new key and IVIiddle C. Pressing any key below 
IVIiddle C will instantly transpose the sequence down by an amount 
equal to the interval between the new key and IVIiddle C. When you 
press the transposition key, it will only be used to set the transposition 
interval — the note itself will not sound. Be sure to press the key 
immediately before the instant that you want the transposition to 
occur. To remind you that your sequence is being transposed, the 
light above the TRANSPOSE key will go on if any Amount value other 
than 0 has been selected. 

5. To return to the original key signature, press IVIiddle C or set the 
Amount field to 0. 



Page 98 



Chapter 5: 
Song Mode 



Chapter 5: Song mode 



Overview 



One way to create a song in the MPC60 is to record all of the parts in 
one long sequence, either playing tlie entire song manually or using the 
copy functions to duplicate repeating sections. Another way is use Song 
mode. In Song mode, several sequences are entered into a list, with 
each sequence being a different section of the whole song. Once the 
entire list is entered, Song mode automatically plays the list of 
sequences in the order they were entered. This is especially useful in 
creating arrangements that have many repeating sections, such as drum 
parts. Song mode has the following advantages over using a long 
sequence to record a song: 

• The song structure can be created very quickly. 

• The content of the sections of the song can be changed very quickly. 

A song in the MPC60 consists of up to 250 steps, each of which 
contains the number of the sequence that will play at the step and the 
number of times the step will repeat before going on to the next step in 
the song. After the last step, the song can either stop playing or loop 
back to an earlier step. The MPC60 can hold up to 20 songs in memory 
at one time. Recording is not permitted in Song mode. Rather, the 
individual sequences must be recorded or edited while in Play/Record 
mode. 



Page 100 



Chapter 5: Song mode 



The SONG MODE Key and Song Mode Screen 



To enter Song mode, press the SONG MODE key. The Song Mode 
screen will appear: 



=============== Song mode =============A 

Song: 1- (unused) LoopiTO STEP 1 

SMPTE start : 00 : 00 : 00 : 00 . 00 

========= Contents of Step: 1 ========= 

Sqnc: 1- (unused) Reps(0=end): 1 

Bars: 0 Tempo: 120.0 BPM 

===== Now: 001 . 01 . 00 (00:00:00:00) ====== 

<Ins/Del> <Conv2Seq> <Step-l> <Step+l> 



While this screen is showing, the MPC60 is in Song mode, meaning that 
if play is entered, the active song will play instead of the active 
sequence. 

All of the Play/Record keys except RECORD and OVERDUB operate on 
the active song. PLAY START plays the active song from the start; PLAY 
plays the active song from the current location in the Now field; the 
REWIND, FAST FORWARD, and LOCATE keys change the position 
within the song. 

A detailed description of each of the on-screen fields and soft keys is 
given below: 

• The Song field: 

This field selects the current song number (1-20). There are 20 songs, 
each containing its own list of 250 steps. 

• The Song Name field (Song: 1 - (unused) ): 

This field has no title but exists directly to the right of the song number. It 
is the 16-character name of the active song. Changing the song name is 
done in the same manner as changing the sequence name in the 

Play/Record screen. 

• The Loop field: 

This field indicates what will occur when the current song plays all the 

way to its end. There are two options: 

1. OFF: The song stops playing. 

2. TO STEP 1 : The song loops back to the step number shown 
directly to the right of the word STEP. This step number can 
be changed by moving the cursor to it and changing it. 

• The SMPTE start field: 

This five-part field sets the SMPTE number associated with the exact 
beginning of the song. Also called SMPTE offset, this is the SMPTE 
number which, when the MPC60 is syncing to SMPTE, denotes the 
beginning of the song. Normally, this is set to all zeroes 



Page 101 



Chapter 5: Song mode 



(00:00:00:00.00). The five parts are Hours:Minutes:Seconds: 
Frames. HundrethFrames. 

• The Contents of step field: 

This shows the current step number (1-250) within the active song. The 
data displayed below this field are the data contained within this step. 

• The Sqnc field: 

This field indicates the sequence number contained in the current step. 
The selected sequence's name is displayed to the right. 

• The Reps(0=end) field: 

This field indicates the number of repetitions that the sequence in the 
current step will play before moving on to the next step. For example, if 
you want the sequence to play only once in the current step, a 1 should 
be entered here. If a 0 is entered here, the MPC60 will treat this step as 
the end of the song, and either stop playing or loop to a previous step 
number, depending on the setting of the Loop field. 

• The Bars field: 

This field shows the total number of bars in the selected sequence. It is 
for display only and can't be edited. 

• The Tempo field: 

This field shows the sequence tempo (the tempo value stored within the 
sequence — not the master tempo) of the selected sequence. 

• The Now field: 

This has nearly the same function as in the Play/Record screen, except 
that in Song mode this number refers to the current position within the 
song, not within the sequence. 



• The <lns/Del> soft key: 

This key is used for inserting a new step into a song, deleting a step, or 
deleting an entire song. Pressing it causes the following screen to 
appear: 



== Insert Step === === Delete Step ==A 

Ins before step: 1 Delete step: 1 

(This and all higher (This step will be 

steps will be moved deleted and all 

up and a new step higher steps will 

will be inserted.) be moved down. 

<Insert> <Delete><Del song!> 



To insert a new step into the song, enter the step number before which 
the new step will be inserted in the Ins before step field, then press 
<lnsert>. The Song screen will be redisplayed and a new step inserted, 
with all higher-numbered steps moved up by one position. 



Page 102 



Chapter 5: Song mode 



To delete a step, select the step number to be deleted in the Delete step 
field and press <Delete>. The Song screen will be redisplayed and the 
specified step deleted, with all higher-numbered steps moved down by 
one position. 

To delete all steps in the song or to delete all songs, press <Del song!> 
and follow the instructions on the screens that appear. 

Other soft keys on the Song screen: 

• The <Conv2Seq> soft l<ey: 

This key accesses a feature that converts the individual steps in a song 
into one long sequence. It does this by copying each event in all of the 
sequences within the song to a new sequence that has the same total 
number of bars as the song. This function is described in detail later in 
this chapter. 

• The <Step-1> soft key: 

Pressing this soft key decrements the Contents of step field. 

• The <Step+1> soft key: 

Pressing this soft key increments the Contents of step field. 



Page 103 



Chapter 5: Song mode 



An Example of Creating and Playing a Song 



The following demonstrates how to use Song mode to create a song on 
the MPC60: 

1 . Record some drum or MIDI data into sequences 1 , 2, and 3. 

2. Enter Song mode by pressing the SONG MODE key. 

3. In the Song field, select an unused song number. An unused song is 
indicated as (unused) in the Song Name field. 

4. Set the Contents of step field to 1 , which sets the active step to step 
numberl . 

5. Select 1 in the Sqnc field, indicating that you want sequence number 1 
to play at the start of the song. 

6. Select 2 in the Reps field, indicating that you want sequence number 1 
to repeat two times before completing step 1 . 

7. Press <Step+1> to move on to step 2. 

8. Select 2 in the Sqnc field and 1 in the Reps field, indicating that you 
want sequence 2 to play only once for step 2. 

9. Press <Step+1> to move on to step 3. 

10. Select 3 in the Sqnc field and 2 in the Reps field, indicating that you 
want sequence 3 to play twice for step 3. 

1 1 . Press <Step+1 > to move on to step 4. 

12. Select 0 in the Reps field, indicating that this is the end of your song. 
If a 0 already exists here, there is no need to enter it again. 

13. Select the TO STEP option in the Loop field and enter a 2 to the right 
of the word STEP, indicating that you want the song to loop back to 
step 2 once it reaches its end. 

14. Press PLAY START. The song will play back as follows: 

First, it will play two repetitions of sequence 1; 
next, it will play one repetition of sequence 2; 
next, it will play two repetitions of sequence 3; 
after that, it will repeat steps 2 and 3 indefinitely. 

Notice that the Now field always indicates the position within the 
song, not the position within each sequence. 



Page 104 



Chapter 5: Song mode 



COMMENT: Occasionally you may see the message Analyzing 
sequence. Please wait... on the lowest line of the screen, asking 
that you wait briefly while the MPC60 does some thinking. This 
occurs after you make changes in the song, but only if the song 
contains a large number of different sequences. Once this 
process is done, all subsequent fast-forward, rewind, and locate 
operations will be immediate. 

COMMENT: If you notice a timing irregularity in your song at the 
point of transition from one sequence to another, the problem 
may be due to the assignments of the Pgm field (in the 
Play/Record screen) for the sequence that plays immediately 
after the timing irregularity. If a sequence containing these 
program assignments is played in Song mode (or if the 
sequence is selected manually while the MPC60 is playing), the 
sequence's program assignments are sent out at the moment 
that the sequence starts to play in the song. This can present a 
problem, because most synthesizers require time to change 
programs, which can cause any notes existing at the start of the 
new sequence to be delayed. This delay is brief in most 
synthesizers, but is usually enough to cause a timing irregularity 
when it occurs at the start of a sequence. To avoid this problem, 
don't assign program changes to sequences that you are using 
in Song mode. If you need to use program changes within the 
song, make sure that no notes exist at the start of the sequences 
that contain the program changes. Another alternative is to insert 
MIDI Program Change commands within the sequences in the 
song at locations where no notes exist. 



Page 105 



Chapter 5: Song mode 



Converting a Song Into a Long Sequence 



Song mode is useful for quickly creating the format of a song. However, 
it is cumbersome compared to Sequence mode when fine-tuning the 
details of a complex song. It is therefore useful to create a song initially 
using Song mode, then convert that song into a long sequence. This 
allows you to use the more versatile sequence editing features to 
complete the song. The Convert Song to Sequence function does this 
conversion. All sequences in the song, including their designated 
repetitions, are copied end-to-end into the specified sequence. Note that 
track names, track status (Drum or IVIIDI), IVIIDI output channel 
assignments, IVIIDI program change assignments, stereo mixer settings, 
echo send settings, tuning settings, and tempo settings for the newly 
created sequence are taken from the first sequence in the song, and 
that the song's loop status is used for the new sequence's loop status. 
To use this function, press the <Conv2Seq>) soft key from the Song 
screen. The following screen will appear: 



======= Convert Song To Sequence ======A 

Convert from song: l-Song_name 

To sequence: 1-Sequence_name 

(The existing contents of the 
destination sequence will be erased!) 



<Do it> 



The fields are: 

• The Convert from song field: 

This is the number of the song that will be converted into a sequence. 
The song's name is shown to the right. 

• The To sequence field: 

This is the number of the sequence that will contain the converted song. 
The sequence's name is shown to the right. Any data in this sequence 
will be replaced. 

• The <Do it> soft key: 

Pressing this soft key performs the copy as specified. 

COMMENT: Be sure that the drum or MIDI status of like- 
numbered tracks of the sequences in a song match. If not, drum 
track data can be appended onto the end of a MIDI track or vice 
versa. This would cause keyboard notes to play drum sounds , 
or drum notes (in which the note number indicates drum 
selection) to play various keyboard pitches. 



Page 106 



Chapter 6: 
Creating and 
Editing Programs 



Chapter 6: Creating and Editing Programs 



What Are Programs? 



A program can be thought of as a drum set. It is a collection of up to 64 
sound assignments with accompanying sound modifying parameters. 
When a sound is loaded into the MPC60's sound memory, it cannot be 
played by pads or from MIDI until it is assigned within a program. In a 
program, each of 64 legal MIDI note numbers (35-98) is assigned to 
one of the 128 possible sounds currently residing in memory. Once 
assigned to a note number, a sound can be played in one of three ways: 

1 . By receiving a Note On message from the MIDI input. (The note 
number within the message is used to select which sound to play.) 

2. By playing a front panel drum pad. (Each pad is separately assigned 
to one of 64 MIDI note numbers, 35-98, in the MIDI key's option 1 
screen.) 

3. By playing drum tracks in sequences. (The sound played by a 
sequenced drum note event is determined by its note number 
assignment, 35-98.) 

In addition to the 64 sound assignments, each program also contains a 
number of sound modifying parameters for each of the 64 sound 
assignments, such as envelope, tuning, mixer, and velocity response 
data. 

The MPC60 has 8 different programs (of which only one can be active at 

a time), each with its own unique set of 64 assignments. Simply by 
changing the active program number (1-8), all 64 sound assignments 
and their sound modifying settings will instantly change. Each program 
contains the following data: 

• Program name 

• For each of 64 pad numbers (A01-D1 6): 

The note number generated when the pad is played 

• For each of 64 note numbers (35-98): 

Sound assignment 

Sound assignment mode and related parameters 

Envelope attack, decay and decay mode 

Velocity modulation of volume, attack and start address 

Tuning, poly assignment and cutoff assignments 

Stereo mix volume and pan 

Echo send level 

"Echo send level follows stereo volume" (yes/no) 

• Note Variation Slider assignment and parameter range limits 



The following is a graphical representation of how data are organized 
within programs: 



Page 108 



Chapter 6: Creating and Editing Programs 



Program 8: Acoustic drum set 



j: 



Data for each note number: 



Program 3: Jazz drum set 



Program 2: Brushes drum set 



Program 1: Rock drum set 




D16 



Data for each note number: 



Note#: 


Attack: . . 


Mix vol 


Sound used: 


35 


20 


. 100 


HAT OPN - 


36 


0 


. 98 


HI SNARE \ 


37 


311 


. 45 


HI SNARE \ 


38 


23 


. 91 


AMB KICK-' 


39 


0 


. 76 


22"_RIDE ^ 


98 


20 


. 34 


BIG_TOM / 



Used by all 64 note numbers: 
Note Variation slider assignment 




128 Sounds (for all programs) 





— Sounds params — 


Name: 


Tune: . 


. . Soft end: 


SNARE15 


+32 


. . 002.017.42 


BIG TOM 


0 


. . 001.429.03 


22" RIDE 


-11 


. . 003.239.42 


AMB KICK 


-103 


. . 000.872.09 


HAT OPN 


+3 


. . 001.290.31 



HI SNARE 120 



-11 001.02.12 



Note that sound assignments and sound modifying parameters are not 

assigned to pad numbers but rather to one of 64 MIDI note numbers 
(35-98). Separately, each of the 64 pad numbers (A01-D16) is assigned 
to a specific MIDI note number. When a pad is played, the pad number is 
translated into a note number (35-98) using the assignments in the MIDI 
key, option 1 screen. The resulting note number is then used by the 
program to determine which sound to play. This way, sounds can either 
be played by the pads or by incoming MIDI Note On messages: both use 
note numbers to specify which sound to play. Another graphic 
explanation of this connection can be found at the beginning of the "MIDI 
Functions" chapter. 



Program data are edited primarily in the screens accessed by pressing 
the SOUNDS key. These screens are described in this chapter. Editing 
other program data is described in the following chapters: 

• The pad to note number assignments: 

Accessed by pressing the MIDI key and selecting option 1. This is 
described in the "MIDI Functions" chapter of the manual. 

• The stereo mix, individual output/echo send, and effects: 
Accessed by pressing the DRUM MIX key. This is described in the 
"DRUM MIX Key" chapter of the manual. 

• The Note Variation Slider assignment and slider range limits: 
Accessed by selecting "Note Variation SIdr" (option 3 on the 
SOUNDS page). This is described in the "Basics" chapter of the 
manual. 



Page 109 



Chapter 6: Creating and Editing Programs 



How to create a program 

To create a program, either copy an existing program and modify it, or 

start a new one: 

1 . Load in from disk tlie sounds you intend to use in tlie program. 

2. If you want to change the note number assignments for any of the 

pads, press the IVIIDI key and select option 1 . 

3. For each pad you want to assign to a sound, select that pad's note 
number in the "Select Programs, Assign Sounds" screen and assign it 
to the desired sound and sound assignment mode. This screen is 
accessed by pressing the SOUNDS key and selecting option 1 . 

4. If desired, modify the default settings for envelope, velocity 
modulation, tuning, poly mode, or cutoff assignments. These are 
accessed by selecting option 2 from the SOUNDS key menu. 

5. If desired, adjust the stereo or individual output/echo send mixes by 
pressing the DRUM MIX key and selecting the appropriate option. 



Page 110 



Chapter 6: Creating and Editing Programs 



Selecting the Active Program, Assigning Sounds 



A single screen allows the selection of the current program, as well as 
the creation of a program's sound assignments. To access this screen, 
press the SOUNDS key. The following menu screen will appear: 



===== Programs ===== ===== Sounds ====A 

l.Sel pgm, asn snds 5. Sample new sound 

2 . Envel , veloc, tune . . 6. Edit sound 

3. Note Variation Sldr 7 . Renam, cpy, delete 

4. Copy, initialize 8. Audio trigger 



Select option: 



Options 1 through 4 relate to creating and editing programs. Press 1 to 
go to the Select Program, Assign Sounds screen: 



============ Select Program ===========A 

Active program: 1-BIG DRUM SET 
========== Assign Note:37/A03 ========== 

Sound :BIG_BAD_D RUM Mode:DCY SW 

General MIDI name for note: SIDE STICK 



<Play> 



The fields and soft keys are: 



The Select Program section of the screen: 

• The Active program field: 

The active program is the program that is currently in use. Only one 
program can be active at a time. This field is used to select which of the 
8 programs is currently active. All data displayed below and in the other 
program screens apply only to the active program selected here. Range: 
1-8. 

• The Program Name field (1- BIG DRUM SET in above example): 

This field is located to the right of the Active program field. It contains the 
currently assigned 16-character name for the selected program number. 
This name is edited in the same way as the Sequence Name field in the 
Play/Record screen. 



The Edit Sound Assignments section of the screen: 



Page 111 



Chapter 6: Creating and Editing Programs 



• The Assign note field: 

The Assign note and Sound field work together to assign sounds to MIDI 
note numbers. To assign a sound, first select the note number to be 
assigned (35-98) in the Assign note field. Then select the desired sound 
for that note number in the Sound field. You can also select a note 
number by pressing one of the drum pads — the note number currently 
assigned to that pad will be selected automatically. (To change the MIDI 
note number assignments for each pad, press the MIDI key and select 
option 1.) 

For convenience, the pad number currently assigned to the 
selected note number is displayed to its right. (If no pad Is currently 
assigned to the note number, then [-] is displayed.) 

• The Sound field: 

This field contains the sound assignment for the note number selected 
above. This Is a choice field containing an alphabetical list of all sounds 
currently In memory, or OFF. If a sound Is stereo, the name If followed by 

"(ST)". 

• The Mode field: 

This Is a choice field with four options: 
1 . NORMAL: 

Only the sound In the Sound field plays when the selected 
MIDI note number Is received. The screen appears as below: 



============ Select Program ===========A 

Active program: 8 -PROGRAM NAME 
========== Assign Note:37/A03 ========== 

Sound: Tiny_tom Mode: NORMAL 

General MIDI name for note: SIDE STICK 



<Play> 



If this option is selected, the fifth line will contain the field 
General MIDI name for note. This non-editable field shows 
the instrument name in the General MIDI standard for the 
selected MIDI note number. If you want your custom 
programs to be compatible with the General MIDI standard, 
then select sound assignments that are of the same 
Instrument type as shown In this field. 

2. SIMULT (Simultaneous): 

This option allows up to two additional sounds to play 
automatically whenever the note number specified in the Note 
field Is received — useful for creating layered sounds. If this 
option Is selected, the fifth and sixth lines appear as follows: 



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Chapter 6: Creating and Editing Programs 



============ Select Program • 

Active program: 8-PROGRAM NAME 

========== Assign Note:37/A03 ========== 

Sound: Tiny_tom Mode:SIMULT 
Also play note : 38/A06-Big snare drum 
Also play note : 39/B16-Doomsday tom 



<Play> 



In the above example, whenever note number 37 is played, 
note numbers 38 and 39 will also play — Tiny tom will be 
layered with Big snare drum and Doomsday tom. Select the 
simultaneous note numbers in the two Also play note fields. 
Each field is a numeric field allowing the selection of one of 
the 64 available note numbers (35-98). As in the Note field, 
the pad number currently assigned to the selected note 
number is displayed to its right for convenience. If only one 
additional sound is desired, select a number below 35 in 
either of the fields and [-] will appear in place of the number, 
indicating no note number assignment. 

COMMENT: Wtien tine tliree sounds play 
simultaneously, it is as though three pads were 
manually played from the front panel at the same 
velocity — each sound uses all of its individual 
program parameter data including tuning, envelope, 
and mixer data. 

3. VEL SW (velocity switch): 

This option permits one of three sounds, either the main 
assigned sound or two others, to play depending on the 
velocity level of the note played. If selected, the screen 
appears as follows: 



============ Select Program ===========a 

Active program: 8-PROGRAM NAME 
========== Assign Note:37/A03 ========== 

Sound: Soft_snare Mode: VEL SW 

If over: 64 , use : 38 /AO 6-Smack snare 
If over:110 , use : 39/Bl6-Goliath snare 



<Play> 



The fifth and sixth lines now contain four additional fields — 
two velocity thresholds and two new note number 
assignments. These fields are used to play one of three 
sounds depending on the velocity of the note received: 

1 . If the received note's velocity is less than or equal to 

the value in the first If over field, then only the sound 

selected in the Sound field plays. 



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Chapter 6: Creating and Editing Programs 



2. If the received note's velocity is greater than the value 
in the first If over field but less than or equal to the 
value in the second If over field, then only the note 
number selected in the first use field plays. 

3. If the received note's velocity is greater than the value 
in the second If over field, then only the sound 
assigned to the note number selected in the second 
use field plays. 

(The second If over field is limited to values at least 
one higher than the first If over field.) 

In the above example, if you hit pad AOS softly you'll hear the 
Soft snare sound. Hit it harder and you'll hear the Smack 
snare. Hit even harder and you'll hear the Goliath snare. 

COMMENT: If you only want to switch between 2 
sounds, then select the same note number in both use 
fields and use the first If over field to set the threshold. 

COMMENT: Regardless of which pad plays, the 
individual program parameter data (tuning, envelope, 
velocity data, etc.) for each of the three note numbers 
are used but only the main note number's mixer data 
(mix volume and pan, output assignment, and 
output/echo send level) are used. The advantage of this 
is that it is only necessary to adjust the volume and pan, 
for example, of the main sound in the mix instead of all 
three sounds. 

4. DCY SW (decay switch): 

This option permits one of three sounds to play depending on 
the value of the Decay field in the "Envelope, Velocity, 
Tune..." screen. However, if any drum notes contain Note 
Variation decay data, it will override the Decay field's for that 
note only. (The Envelope, Velocity, Tune... screen is 
accessed by pressing the SOUNDS key and selecting option 
2.) 

If selected, the screen appears the same as if the VEL SW 
option above were selected, except that in this case one of 
three sounds will play depending on the current envelope 
decay setting instead of the note's velocity setting: 



============ Select Program ===========a 

Active program: 8-PROGRAM NAME 
========== Assign Note:37/A03 ========== 

Sound: Sound_name Mode: DCY SW 

If over : 1013, use : 38/A06-Good snare drum 
If over : 5000, use : 39/Bl6-Some other drum 



<Play> 



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Chapter 6: Creating and Editing Programs 



The fifth and sixth lines now contain four additional fields — 
two decay thresholds and two new note number assignments. 
These fields are used to play one of three sounds depending 
on the envelope decay setting: 

1 . If the received note's envelope decay is less than or 
equal to the value in the first If over field, then only 
the sound selected in the Sound field plays. 

2. If the received note's envelope decay is greater than 
the value in the first If over field but less than or equal 
to the value in the second If over field, then only the 
note number selected in the first use field plays. 

3. If the received note's envelope decay is greater than 
the value in the second If over field, then only the 
sound assigned to the note number selected in the 
second use field plays. 

(The second If over field is limited to values at least 
one higher than the first If over field.) 

COMMENT: Tiiis feature is provided primarily to emulate the 
way the Hi-hat Decay Slider worked with the old software. 
Whenever the Hi-hat pad on an MPC60 with old software is 
played, one of three different sounds (closed, loose or open 
hi-hat) plays depending on the slider position. Also, the slider 
varies the envelope decay time of the selected sound. With 
the Version 3 software, this same function can be achieved 
by selecting DCY SW in the Mode field. Because Note 
Variation decay data in sequenced drum notes override the 
program's envelope decay setting, the data will also 
determine which of three sounds (e.g., closed, medium and 
open hi-hats) will play while simultaneously varying envelope 
decay of the selected sound. If an MPC60 SET file is loaded 
from disk, these parameters are automatically set to emulate 
the behaviour of the old Hi-hat Decay Slider as part of the 
conversion to a Version 3 program. 

COMMENT: Regardless of which pad plays, the individual 
program parameter data (tuning, envelope, velocity data, etc.) 
for each of the three note numbers are used but only the main 
note number's mixer data (mix volume and pan, output 
assignment, and output/echo send level) are used. The 
advantage of this is that it is only necessary to adjust the 
volume and pan, for example, of the main sound in the mix 
instead of all three sounds. 



Soft keys: 

• The <Play> soft key: 

Pressing this key has the same effect as playing the selected note 
number at full velocity. 



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Chapter 6: Creating and Editing Programs 



Envelope, Velocity Modulation, Tuning, Poly Mode 



To edit these program parameters, press the SOUNDS key, then select 
option 2. The following screen will appear: 



=== Env,Veloc.. (Pgm:08 Note:37/A03) ==A 



Envel 

Attack: 0 
Decay : 0 
Dcy md:END 



— Vel Mod- 
Attack: 0 
Sft St: 0 
Volume : 100 



— Tune/Poly — 
Tune: 0 
Poly :POLY 
Cutoff : 64/BOl 
Cutoff : 65/B02 



<Play> 



The fields and soft l<ey are: 



The Title line: 

• The Pgm field: 

This is the active program number (1-8). All data shown in the fields 
below apply only to this program. 

• The Note field: 

All data values in the lower portion of the screen apply only to the note 
number (35-98) selected in this field. For convenience, the pad number 
currently assigned to the selected note number is displayed to the right. 
The note number in this field can be changed either by cursor editing or 
by pressing one of the front panel drum pads — ^the note number currently 
assigned to that pad will be selected automatically. 



The Envel (Envelope) section: 

• The Attack field: 

This is the volume envelope's attack time. There are 101 values, 
exponentially spaced from 0 to 5000 milliseconds. 

• The Decay field: 

This is the volume envelope's decay time. There are 101 values, 
exponentially spaced from 0 to 5000 milliseconds. 



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Chapter 6: Creating and Editing Programs 



• The Dcy md (decay mode) field: 
This is a choice field with two options: 

1. START: The decay phase of the envelope begins immediately 
following the attack phase. This is similar to the "envelope 
initial decay" parameter on most synthesizers. 

2. END: The decay phase of the envelope always ends exactly 
at the end of the sound playback. The point at which the 
decay starts is determined by the decay parameter. This was 
called fadeout in the old software and is very useful for 
creating a smooth fade down just before the end of a 
sampled sound. 



The Vel IVIod (Velocity Modulation) section: 

• The Attack field: 

This field sets the amount of effect that note velocity has on attack time 
(0-100%). If set to 0, note velocity has no effect on attack; if set to higher 
values, attack time will increase as you play lower velocities. That is, 
hitting a pad hard will produce a faster attack than hitting it softly. 

•The Sft St (soft start) field: 

This field controls the amount of time (0-5000 ms) that will be added to 
the sound's Soft Start location when notes with low velocities are 
received. (The Soft Start field is located in the screen accessed by 
pressing the SOUNDS key and selecting option 6 from the menu.) This 
provides a good simulation of the way a real drum sounds differently 
when hit softly. If you set this field above 0, hitting a pad more softly will 
start playback later in the sample, causing fewer attack transients to be 
heard. Notes with velocity - 1 will add the full amount of time entered 
here to the Soft Start location; notes with velocity = 127 will add nothing; 
notes with velocities in between will add time proportionately. If this field 
is set to 0, note velocity will have no effect on the Soft Start location. 

• The Volume field: 

This field sets the amount of effect that note velocity has on volume (0- 
100%). If set to 0, note velocity has no effect on volume; if set to higher 
values, the volume will decrease as you play lower velocities. 



The Tune/Poly section: 

• The Tune field: 

This sets the tuning. The range is from -120 (-12 semitones) to 60 (+6 
semitones) in increments of 0.1 semitone. 

• The Poly field: 

This is a choice field with three options: 

1. P0LY: IVIultiple plays of the sound are assigned to additional 

voices, allowing polyphonic overlap. This is useful for sounds 
like ride cymbals, for which you don't want new notes to cut 
off old ones. 

2. IVIONO: IVIultiple plays of the sound use the same voice, 
terminating and restarting playback of the sound (no 
polyphonic overlap). This is useful for producing stuttering 
effects. 



Page 117 



Chapter 6: Creating and Editing Programs 



3. NOTE OFF: When the pad is released (or a MIDI Note Off 
message is received), the sound is terminated. This is useful 
for gating long samples. 

• The two Cutoff fields: 

Each of these two fields allows a note number to be entered. Whenever 
the note selected in the top line's Note field is played, then any currently 
playing sounds assigned to either of the note numbers in these two fields 
are Immediately terminated. 

This is useful when it is desirable for one sound to cause 
another to stop playing, such as a closed hi-hat stopping an open hl-hat, 
or a muted triangle stopping an open triangle. 

Each of these two fields allows a note number to be entered 
(35-98). In each case, the pad currently assigned to that note number is 
displayed to its right. To disable this feature in either or both fields, enter 
a note lower than 35 and "-/OFF" will appear In the field Indicating that 
no note Is selected to be cut off. 



The soft key: 

• The <Play > soft key: 

Pressing this key has the same effect as playing the selected note 
number at full velocity. 



Page 118 



Chapter 6: Creating and Editing Programs 



Copying and Initializing Programs 



Selecting option 4 from ttie initial SOUNDS l<ey menu presents ttie 
following menu screen, allowing programs to be copied or initialized: 



======= Copy, Initialize Program ======A 

1 . Copy program data of 1 note 

2 . Copy 1 program over another 
3. Initialize a program 

4. Initialize all programs 



Select opt ion : 



If 1 is selected from the Copy, Initialize Program menu: 



======= Copy Pgm Data of 1 Note =======a 

Copy from note : 37/A03-Sound_name 
Of program: l-Program_name 

Copy to note : 37/A03-Sound_name 
Of program: 8-Program_name 



<Do it> 



This command copies the program data (envelope, tuning, sound 
assignments, etc.) for one note number to a different note number. To 
perform the copy: 

1. Enter the source note number in the Copy from note field. The pad 
number and sound name currently assigned to that note number are 
displayed to its right for convenience. 

2. Enter the source program number in the upper Of program field. The 
program name is displayed to the right for convenience. 

3. Enter the destination note number in the Copy to note field. The pad 
number and sound name currently assigned to that note number are 
displayed to its right for convenience. 

4. Enter the destination program number in the lower Of program field. 
The program name is displayed to its right for convenience. 

5. Press the <Do it> soft key to perform the copy. 



Page 119 



Chapter 6: Creating and Editing Programs 

If 2 is selected from the Copy, Initialize Program menu: 



===== Copy 1 Program to Another =====A 
Copy from program: 5-Program_name 
Copy to program: 8-Program_name 



<Do it> 



This command copies all data from one program to a different program 
number. To perform the copy: 

1 . Enter the source program number in the Copy from program field. The 
program name is displayed to the right for convenience. 

2. Enter the destination program number in the Copy to program field. 
The program name is displayed to the right for convenience. 

3. Press the <Do it> soft key to perform the copy. 



If 3 Is selected from the Copy, Initialize Program menu: 



========== Initialize Program =========A 

Initialize program: 8-Program_name 



<Do it> 



This command initializes a program to default values with no sounds 
assigned. When <Do it> is pressed, the selected program is initialized. 



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Chapter 6: Creating and Editing Programs 
If 4 is selected from the Copy, Initialize Program menu: 



======= Initialize All Programs =======A 

Press <Do it> to initialize all 
programs ! ! 



<Do it> 



This feature initializes all programs to default values with no sounds 
assigned. When <Do it> is pressed, all programs are initialized. 



Page 121 



Chapter 7: 
The DRUM MIX 

Key 



Chapter 7: The Drum Mix key 



The Stereo Output Mixer 



The MPC60 has a 64 channel stereo mixer, providing a unique volume 
and pan value for each of the 64 note number assignments (35-98) in 
the active program. 

To adjust the stereo mixer, press the DRUM MIX key, then select option 
1 . The following screen will appear: 



0 


0 


O 


0 


0 


0 


o 


© 


0 


0 


0 


0 


0 


G 


Q 


O 


n 


fl 


fl 


fl 


fl 


^1 


fl 


fl 


fl 


fl 


fl 


fl 


fl 


fl 


fl 


fl 


0 


0 


0 


0 


0 


si 


?l 


°l 


0 


1 


11 


1 


;i 


;i 


Jl 




1 


2 


3 


4 


5 






si 


9 


0 




2 











This is a graphic simulation of a multichannel stereo mixer, showing ; 
simulated volume slider and pan knob for each of the 16 pads in pad 
bankA(A01-A16). 



To show the settings for the other three pad banks, press the BANK 2 
key until the desired bank (A-D) is active. 

To adjust the volume of a particular sound: 

1 . Press the pad for the sound that you want to adjust; the small triangle 
on the screen will move directly above the number of the selected 
pad. 

2. Rotate the data entry knob. As you turn it, the graphic volume slider 
will move up or down, indicating that the volume of the selected 
sound is being changed. 

To adjust the pan position of a particular sound: 

1. Press the pad that you want to adjust; the small triangle on the screen 
will move directly above the number of the selected pad. 

2. Press the CURSOR UP key. The small triangle will now point 
upwards, toward the graphic pan knob. 

3. Rotate the data entry knob. As you turn it, the graphic pan knob will 
move between one of 15 pan positions, indicating that the pan setting 
of the selected pad is being changed. 

Notice that the screen displays pad numbers, yet the mixer contains 
volume and pan data for each of the 64 note number assignments (35- 
98) in the active program. For each pad number on the screen, the 
volume and pan data shown is from the note number (35-98) within the 
active program to which the pad number is currently assigned (in the 
MIDI key, option 1 screen). If you want to be able to adjust mix data by 
selecting a specific note number regardless of its pad assignment, use 
the All Mix Data (Text) function, accessed by selecting option 3 from the 
initial DRUM MIX key menu. 



Page 124 



Chapter 7: The Drum Mix Key 



COMMENT: The data values used for the volume and pan 
displays are normally taken from the active program. Because of 
this, whenever the active program is changed, the newly 
selected program's stereo mix settings will immediately become 
active. However, it is also possible to use mix data from the 
active sequence so that each newly selected sequence will have 
its own custom mix, or to use a single master set of mix data so 
that the stereo mix never changes when either the program or 
sequence is changed. This choice may be made in the Mixer 
Source Select fields, accessed by pressing option 4 from the 
DRUM MIX key menu. 



•SOFT KEY1: 

Even though no soft key functions are displayed on the screen, there is 
one active soft l<ey: pressing SOFT KEY 1 will change the mixer to a 
mode in which all pads are edited simultaneously, indicated by 16 cursor 
triangles across the screen. Thus, you can fade or pan all pads in a bank 
at the same time. You can toggle between volume and pan control with 
the UP and DOWN cursor keys. To return to normal operation, press 
SOFT KEY 1 again. 



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Chapter 7: The Drum Mix key 



The Individual Outputs/Echo Send Mixer 



In addition to the stereo outputs, any sound may be assigned to play 
through any one of the 8 polyphonic assignable mix outputs. 
Independently, any sound may be sent to the echo mix output. The echo 
send mix level is independent for each sound; the level to the assignable 
mix outputs is not adjustable. 



To access the Individual Output Assign / Echo Send Mixer screen, press 
the DRUM MIX key, then select option 2. The following screen will 
appear: 



8_ 


e 








1 


7 


8 




4 


5 


z 










n 


n 


n 


n 


n 


^1 


n 


n 


n 


n 


n 


n 


n 


n 


n 


n 


0 


0 


0 


0 


0 


i 


?i 


°l 


0 


1 


11 


1 


;i 


ii 


's\ 




1 


2 


3 




5 






si 


9 


0 




2 











Similar to the Stereo Mix screen, this screen presents a graphic 
simulation of a multichannel mixer, showing a simulated volume slider 
and an output assignment for each of the 16 pads in pad banl< A (A01- 
A16). To view other pad banks, press the BANK 2 key. 

To adjust the volume level of the individual echo send for a particular 

sound: 

1 . Press the pad for the sound that you want to adjust; the small triangle 
on the screen will move directly above the number of the selected 
pad. 

2. Rotate the data entry knob. As you turn it, the graphic volume slider 
will move up or down, indicating that the volume of the selected 
sound at the echo send output is being changed. The graphic volume 
slider can be thought of as an effects send on a hardware mixing 
board. 

To change the assignment to the assignable mix outputs for a particular 
sound: 

1 . Press the pad for the sound that you want to adjust; the small triangle 
on the screen will move directly above the number of the selected 
pad; 

2. Press the CURSOR UP key. The small triangle will now point 
upwards, toward the number (or "-") indicating the current output 
assignment. 

3. Rotate the data entry knob. Turning it will rotate through nine choices: 



Page 126 



Chapter 7: The Drum Mix Key 



[-] The pad's sound has no output assignment 

1 The pad's sound is sent out individual output 1 

2 The pad's sound is sent out individual output 2 

3 The pad's sound is sent out individual output 3 

4 The pad's sound is sent out individual output 4 

5 The pad's sound is sent out individual output 5 

6 The pad's sound is sent out individual output 6 

7 The pad's sound is sent out individual output 7 

8 The pad's sound Is sent out Individual output 8 

Or, If the assigned sound Is stereo, the following five choices will 
be presented: 

[-] The pad's sound has no output assignment 
1 2 The pad's sound is sent out individual outputs 1 & 2 
3 4 The pad's sound Is sent out Individual outputs 3 & 4 
5 6 The pad's sound is sent out individual outputs 5 & 6 
7 8 The pad's sound is sent out individual outputs 7 & 8 

Notice that the screen displays pad numbers, yet the mixer contains data 
for each of the 64 note number assignments (35-98) In the active 
program. For each pad number on the screen, the data shown is from 
the note number (35-98) within the active program to which the pad 
number Is currently assigned (In the IVIIDI key, option 1 screen). If you 
want to be able to adjust mix data by selecting a specific note number 
regardless of its pad assignment, use the All IVlix Data (Text) function, 
accessed by selecting option 3 from the Initial DRUIVI IVIIX key menu. 

COMMENT: The data values used for this mixer are normally 
taken from the active program. Because of this, whenever the 
active program is changed, the newly selected program's 
individual output assign and mix settings will immediately 
become active. However, it is also possible to use settings from 
the active sequence so that each newly selected sequence will 
have its own custom settings, or to use a single master set of 
individual out assignments and mix data so that the settings 
never change when either the program or sequence is changed. 
This choice may be made in the Mixer Source Select fields, 
accessed by pressing option 4 from the DRUM MIX key menu. 



' SOFT KEY 1 : 

Even though no soft key functions are displayed on the screen, there is 
one active soft key: If SOFT KEY 1 Is pressed, the mixer changes to a 
mode in which all sliders or output assignments are moved 
simultaneously, indicated by 16 cursor triangles across the screen. To 
return to normal operation, press SOFT KEY 1 again. 



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Chapter 7: The Drum Mix key 



Viewing the IVlix Data in Text Form 



The graphic screens for the stereo mixer and individual output/echo send 
mixer (menu options 1 and 2) are normally used for the adjusting the 
stereo mix and individual output assign/echo send mix. However, an 
additional screen containing the same data in text form is also provided. 
You can access it by pressing the DRUM MIX key and selecting option 
3. The following screen will appear: 



================ Mixer ================A 

Note : 64/A01-Sound_name 

=============== Mix Data =============== 

Stereo output> Volume: 100 Pan: IL 
Echo output> Volume: 100 Fol st:NO 
Individ output> Assign: OFF 



<Set all notes> 



This alternate view is useful when adjusting mix data for note numbers 
within the active program that are not currently assigned to a pad. This 
would be the case when you're playing sounds from the MIDI input only. 
Also, one mix parameter, Fol st (Follow stereo volume), only appears in 
this screen. 



The fields and soft keys are: 
• The Note field: 

A unique set of mix data values exists for each of the 64 MIDI note 

numbers (35-98) in the active program. The mix values shown in the 
center area of the screen apply only to the MIDI note number selected in 
this field. For convenience, the pad number and sound currently 
assigned to the selected note number are shown to its right. A new note 
number may be entered either (1) by cursor editing, (2) by pressing a 
front panel pad (the note number assigned to that pad will be selected 
automatically), or (3) by sending a note to the MIDI input (the received 
note number will be selected automatically). 



The Mix Data section: 

• The Stereo output> Volume field: 

This is the volume for the selected sound at the stereo outputs. The 
range is from 0 to 1 00. This is the same parameter set by the graphic 
volume slider in the Stereo Mix screen. 



Page 128 



Chapter 7: The Drum Mix Key 



• The Stereo output> Pan field: 

This is the current pan position for the selected sound within the stereo 
mix. The range is 501 to C to 50R. This is the same parameter set by the 
graphic pan control in the Stereo Mix screen. 

• The Echo output> Volume field: 

This is the volume for the selected sound at the echo send output. This 
is the same parameter set by the graphic volume slider in the Individual 
Outputs/Echo Send IVIixer screen. 

• The Echo output> Fol st (Follow stereo volume) field: 
This is a choice field with two options: 

LYES: 

The level of the Echo Send is made proportional to the stereo 
volume. Therefore, all changes to the stereo mix volume for 
the selected sound will also change the level sent out the 
Echo Send. (This is similar to the Post Fader Echo Send 
function on hardware mixing consoles.) It provides the 
advantage of automatically changing the level to the echo 
send whenever the stereo volume is changed. 
2. NO: 

The level of the Echo Send is made completely independent 
of the stereo volume. Changing the stereo volume will have 
no effect on the Echo Send volume for the same sound. (This 
is similar to the Pre Fader Echo Send function on hardware 

mixing consoles.) 

• The Individ output> Assign field: 

This is the selected sound's assignment to the individual outputs. This is 
the same parameter set by the output assignment in the Individual 
Outputs/Echo Send Mixer screen. It is a choice field with nine options: 

OFF The sound has no output assignment. 

0UT1 The sound is sent out individual output 1 . 

0UT2 The sound is sent out individual output 2. 

OUTS The sound is sent out individual output 3. 

0UT4 The sound is sent out individual output 4. 

OUTS The sound is sent out individual output 5. 

0UT6 The sound is sent out individual output 6. 

0UT7 The sound is sent out individual output 7. 

OUTS The sound is sent out individual output 8. 

Or, if the selected sound is stereo, the following five choices will 
be presented: 

[-] The pad's sound has no output assignment 
1+2 The pad's sound is sent out individual outputs 1 & 2 
3+4 The pad's sound is sent out individual outputs 3 & 4 
5+6 The pad's sound is sent out individual outputs 5 & 6 
7+8 The pad's sound is sent out individual outputs 7 & 8 



The Soft Key: 

• The <Set all notes> soft key: 



Page 129 



Chapter 7: The Drum Mix key 



Pressing this soft key displays the following screen, which allows the mix 
data for all 64 note numbers to be set in one step: 



Set Mix Data 


For All Notes 


— A 


Parameter : ECHO SEND 


FOLLOW STER VOL 




Set all 64 notes to 


: YES 




<Do it> 



To set a single mix parameter for all 64 note numbers: 



1 . Set the Parameter field to the desired mix parameter. The options are: 

STEREO VOLUME 
STEREO PAN 
ECHO SEND LEVEL 
INDIVIDUAL OUT ASSIGN 
ECHO SEND FOLLOW STER VOL 

2. Enter the value that you want all 64 note numbers to be set to in the 
Set All 64 Notes To field. 

3. Press <Do it>. 



Page 130 



Chapter 7: The Drum Mix Key 



Mixer Source Select, Automated Mix 



Selecting option 4 from ttie DRUIVI IVIIX menu presents a screen 
containing four fields that alter the performance of the mixer: 



========= Mixer Source Select ========== 

Stereo mix: PROGRAM 

Indiv out asn / echo mix: PROGRAM 

=========== Automated Mixer ============ 

Record mix changes: YES (If source = SEQ) 



The fields are: 



The Mixer Source Select section: 
• The Stereo mix field: 

This choice field allows you to choose one of three sources for the data 
displayed on the Stereo Mixer screen and the Stereo Mix section of the 
All Mix Data (Text) screen: 

1. PROGRAM: 

There is a set of stereo mix settings (volume and pan) that is 
stored within each program. If PROGRAM is selected in this 
field, these settings are used in the Stereo Mixer screen. In 
this mode, whenever the active program is changed, the 
stereo mix immediately changes to the newly selected 
program's stereo mixer settings. This option is useful if you 
want each newly selected program to have a custom stereo 
mix. This is the default setting. 

2. SEQUENCE: 

There is a set of stereo mix settings (volume and pan) that is 
stored within each sequence. If SEQUENCE is selected in 

this field, these settings are used in the Stereo Mixer screen. 
In this mode, whenever the active sequence is changed, the 
stereo mix immediately changes to the newly selected 
sequence's stereo mix settings. This option is useful if you 
want each newly selected sequence to have a custom stereo 
mix. 

3. MASTER: 

There is a set of stereo mix settings (volume and pan) that is 
stored within each APG (all programs) file and that applies 
globally to all sequences and programs. If MASTER is 
selected in this field, this set of global data is used in the 



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Chapter 7: The Drum Mix key 



mixer screen. In this mode, the stereo mixer settings never 
change unless you change them, even if the active sequence 
or program is changed. This option is useful for people who 
always want the mix settings to stay where they last put them. 
Note that these settings must be saved to the APS file before 
power is removed, or any mix changes will be lost. 

• The Indiv out asn / echo mix field: 

This field works the same way as the Stereo mix field above except that 
it determines the source of the Echo Send Volume, Individual Output 
Assignment, and Follows Stereo Volume setting instead of the stereo 
volume and pan. 

The contents of these 2 fields are saved in APS files. 



The Automated mixer section: 

• The Record mix changes field: 

This is a choice field and has two options: 

1 . YES: 

If you're recording on a drum track, all real-time changes 
made to the volume or pan in the Stereo Mix screen (or to the 
Echo Send level in the Individual Outputs/Echo Send Mixer 
screen) are recorded, just as with an automated mixer. When 
played back, the mixer settings will change exactly as they 
did while recording, both audibly and visually on the graphic 
screens. These movements are stored like MIDI continuous 
controllers, as a series of many discrete events (in this case, 
STEREO VOLUME, STEREO PAN, or ECHO SEND LEVEL 
system exclusive events). These discrete events can be 
edited in detail in Step Edit mode. 

2. NO: 

Real time mixer changes are not recorded. If prerecorded real 
time mix changes already exist in drum tracks, they are 
ignored. 



COMMENT: The changes to the stereo mix volume and pan will 
only be recorded or played back if the Stereo Mix field in the 
Mixer Source Select section of the screen is set to SEQUENCE. 
Likewise, the volume slider movements in the Individual 
Outputs/Echo Send Mixer will only be recorded or played back if 
the Indiv Out/Echo Send Mix field in the Mixer Source Select 
section of the screen is set to SEQUENCE. 

COMMENT: If you use overdub mode to add mix changes to a 

region of the track where previous mix changes exist, the old 
changes are not erased, but rather the new changes will be 
added in between the old ones, producing unpredictable results. 
For this reason, it is a good idea to record your automated mix 
data on its own separate drum track, then always use record 
mode (not overdub mode) to punch-in any mix changes. This will 
automatically erase the old changes throughout the punch-in 



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Chapter 7: The Drum Mix Key 



region, but since the mix changes are on a separate track, any 
drum notes will not be erased. 

COMMENT: A large number of these mix change events can 
cause minor slowing of playback due to the large processing 
requirement. To reduce the number of these events, increase 
the Minimum Change field's setting for these event types (in the 
MIDI Input Filter screen) to as high a number as acceptable 
before recording mix changes. This will thin out the mix data 
during recording, lessening the processing requirement in 
playback. 

COIVIIVIENT: As with any other mid-sequence control changes, 
these mix changes only take effect when played in a sequence. 
This means that if you play a section of a sequence containing a 
specific controller event, the last played value of that controller 
will remain until another occurrence of the same controller is 
played, even if you stop the sequence and start playing it from 
another location. Because of this, whenever you use one of 
these events within a sequence. It Is Important to Insert another 
event of the same type at the beginning of the sequence to set 
the volume, pan or DRUIVI IVIIX setting to an Initial value 



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Chapter 8: 
Creating and 
Editing Sounds 



Chapter 8: Creating and Editing Sounds 



Sampling a New Sound 



This function is used to record new sounds into your MPC60. All 

sampling is done using a 16 bit analog-to-digital converter at a 40kHz 
sampling rate, and compressing the data into a special 12-bit non-linear 
storage format. While the MPC60 is essentially a mono sampler, there 
does exist a way to sample stereo sounds. See the section below 
entitled "Sampling stereo sounds" for more information. 

COMMENT: As witti ait samplers, all sounds are lost when the 
power is removed. This means that you must load in sounds 
from a sounds disk every time the MPC60 is turned on, and you 
must save any edited or newly sampled sounds to disk, or the 
changes will he lost! 

To sample new sounds, press the SOUNDS key to view the menu 
screen, then press 5 to select the Sample New Sound option. This will 

cause the Sample New Sound screen to appear: 



=========== Sample New Sound ==========A 

Length ( sec) : 2 6 . 2 Pre-Record: 1 
MonitoriON Threshold% (T) : 1 

Record Level: 50 



Meter : T 



<Rec ready> 



All sampling is done while this screen is showing. The fields and soft 
keys are: 

• The Length field: 

This field is used to specify the total recording time to be 
allocated to the new sample, in increments of .1 second. The 
longest a single sound can be is 13.1 seconds if your IVIPCGO's 
sound memory is not expanded, or 26.2 seconds if it is. 

COMMENT: If you frequently find that you need more memory 
even when all sounds are deleted, you may want to add more 

memory to the MPC60. See the section "Expanding the Sound 
Memory" in the Appendix for information about how to do this. 

COMMENT: The maximum sound size that will fit on one floppy 
disk is 13. 1 seconds mono or 6.5 seconds stereo. If you save a 
sound that is larger than this to floppy, the MPC60 will 
automatically save it as two "split" sound files, each of which fits 
on a single disk. The first part has "{1}" added to the end of the 
sound name and has a file size of 773K. The second part has 
"{2}" added to the end of the sound name and contains the 
remaining portion of the sound. When part 1 is reloaded, the 



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MPC60 will prompt you afterwards to insert the disk containing 
the associated part 2 file. The part 2 file cannot be loaded by 
itself Also, to load one of these two-part "split" MPC60 sound 
files into an MPC3000, the MPC3000 must be running software 
version 3.12 or higher, available from Roger Linn Design. 

• The Pre-Record field: 

The MPC60 can record a small amount of time before the level threshold 

is exceeded, insuring that even the low level start of the sound is 
retained. This field is used to set that amount of pre-record time, in 
milliseconds. For example, to record 10 milliseconds before the audio 
threshold is exceeded, enter 10 here. The default value here is 1 
millisecond, which is adequate for most sharp attack sounds like drums. 

COMMENT: When played back, the sound starts playing from 
the point at which the threshold was exceeded because the Soft 
Start parameter (in the Edit a Sound screen) is automatically set 
to the first sample which exceeded the threshold. To hear the 
pre-record portion of the sound, you must set the Soft Start field 
to an earlier position within the sound. 

• The IVIonitor field: 

This choice field has two options: ON and OFF. If ON, the signal from the 
sampling input is heard in the stereo mix outputs. If OFF, it is not. If you 
are sampling with a microphone in the same room as the speakers, 
select OFF to avoid audio feedback. Otherwise, select ON to hear the 
incoming signal in the stereo mix. 

• The Threshold%(T) field: 

This sets the threshold above which recording will begin once <Rec 
ready> has been pressed. The range is 0-100% of full scale. A good 
setting to start with is 1%. Setting Threshold%(T) to 0 will cause 
recording to begin as soon as <Rec ready> is pressed. 

• The Record Level field: 

This controls a 99 level digital volume control for the sampling input. 
There is also a three-position switch on the back panel to select from 
three volume ranges. 

• The IVleter section of the screen: 

This is a simulation of an analog record level meter. While this screen is 
present, the meter will constantly display the level of the signal at the 
input. The threshold setting is graphically represented by a T within the 
meter's range. If the range is exceeded, I is displayed to the right of the 
meter's range to indicate clipping. 

• The <Rec ready> soft key: 

Pressing this soft key commands the IVIPCGO to enter Record Ready 
mode and the bottom line of the screen changes to: 

Rec lite=ON when sound rec'd... <Cancel> 



During this time the IVIPCGO stands ready to record, waiting for the 
incoming audio to exceed the record threshold. Howver, the level meter 
does not operate during this time, but rather only before <Rec ready> is 



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pressed. If the <Cancel> soft key is pressed during tinis time, tine Record 
Ready status is canceled and the previous screen status is re-displayed. 
When the incoming audio signal exceeds the record threshold, the light 
above the REC button will turn on. 

When the entire sample has been recorded, the screen changes to: 



=========== Sample New Sound ==========A 

Sound has been recorded. To hear it, 
press <Play/Stop>. If you like it, press 
<Keep&name> to name the new sound. If you 
don't like it, press <Discard> to discard 
it and sample again. 



<Play/ Stop><Keep&name><Discard> 



As the screen explains, sampling is finished. You can now hear the new 
sound by pressing <Play/Stop>. If you don't like it and want to sample 
again, press <Discard>. If you want to keep it and give it a name, press 
<Keep&name>, and the following screen will appear: 



============ Name New Sound ===========A 

Name for new sound : soundO 0 1 
(Turn data knob to enter LETTER mode, 
type name with letter keys & press ENTER 
when done. To assign sound to a program, 
press PROGRAM/ SOUNDS key, option 1.) 



<Done> 



Naming the sound is done in the same way as renaming a sequence in 
the Play/Record screen. When finished naming the sound, press 
<Done>. 

COMMENT: Tiie audio input jacks on ttie rear panel are 
balanced inputs having a high, low and ground connection using 
a standard stereo phone jack: 

Ground Low Hiqh 

I , I W 

1 n 



However, standard mono phone plugs will work fine — the low 
connection will simply connect to ground 
Sampling stereo sounds 

The MPC60 has only one mono sampling input. Sampling of stereo 
sounds is accomplished by sampling each side of a stereo signal 



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Chapter 8: Creating and Editing Sounds 



separately as two mono sounds, then later combining tliem into a single 
stereo sound. 

To create a stereo sound: 

1 . Sample the left side of your stereo sound as a mono sound. 

2. Sample the right side of your stereo sound as another mono sound. 

3. Press SOUNDS, then 9, then 1 , "Make stereo from 2 mono sounds". 
Read "Stereo sampling" further in this chapter for more information. 



An example of sampling a new mono sound: 

The following is a step-by-step example of how to record a mono sound 
from the analog input: 

1 . Connect a mono audio signal source to the REC IN jack. 

2. Press the SOUNDS key, then select 5 from the menu screen. The 
Sample New Sound screen will appear. 

3. Set the fields to the following values: 

Set Length(sec) to 1 
Set Monitor to ON 
Set Record Level to 50 
Set Threshold%(T) to 1 
Set Pre-record to 1 

4. While playing the source signal and watching the screen meter, adjust 
the rear panel GAIN switch and on-screen Record Level field so that the 
screen meter goes as far to the right as possible when the sound plays, 
but not into the clipping region (clipping is indicated by ! to the right of the 
meter). 

5. To begin sampling, press <Rec ready>. The bottom line of the screen 
will display Rec lite=ON when sound rec'd... <Cancel>. 

6. Play the sound into the audio input. Sampling starts once the record 
threshold is exceeded at the audio input, indicated by the light over the 
REC button tuming on. 

7. When recording finishes, the screen changes to: 



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Chapter 8: Creating and Editing Sounds 



=========== Sample New Sound ==========A 

Sound has been recorded. To hear it, 
press <Play/Stop>. If you like it, press 
<Keep&name> to name the new sound. If you 
don't like it, press <Discard> to discard 
it and sample again. 



<Play/ Stop><Keep&name><Discard> 



As the screen explains, sampling is finished. To hear the newly sampled 
sound, press the <Play/Stop> soft key. If you don't like how it turned out, 
press <Discard> to return to the Sample New Sound screen. If you liked 
it, press <Keep&name> to keep it and go on to a screen that allows you 
to name the new sound. 

8. The sound must be assigned to a note number within a program 
before it can be played by pads, sequences or the IVIIDI input. To do this, 
press the SOUNDS key and select option 1 . Follow the instructions in 
the "Creating and Editing Programs" chapter of this manual. 

9. It is a good idea to save your sound to disk now. IF YOU DON'T, THE 
SOUND WILL BE LOST WHEN YOU TURN THE POWER OFF! To save 
your sample to disk, follow the instructions in the "Saving to and Loading 
from Disk" chapter of this manual for saving a single sound to disk. 



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Chapter 8: Creating and Editing Sounds 



Editing a sound 



This function is used to edit a sound in your IVIPCeO. The available 
editing features are: 

• Edit the sound's parameter data, including: 

• Initial volume 

• Initial tuning 

• Soft start address 

• Soft end address 

• Automatically find the best soft start address 

• Edit the sound's sample data, including: 

• Copy a portion of the sound and insert the copy at any other 

point within the same sound or a different sound. 

• Delete, reverse, or silence any portion of the sound. 



To edit a sound, press the SOUNDS key, then type 6. The following 
screen will appear: 



=== Edit Sound : Sound name 



Sound Params — 

Soft St lOOO.OOO.OO 
Soft end: 000 . 000 . 00 
Length: 000 . 000 . 00 
Vol%:100 Tune:+ 0 



Edit Samples -- 

Zone St :000.000.00 
Zone end: 000 . 000 . 00 

Play X:AFTR SET END 
Do: COPY ZONE-> TEMP 



<Ply/Stp> <Best st> <Play X> 



<Do> 



There are two parts to this screen — Sound Params and Edit Samples. 
Sound Params permits the editing of certain parameters stored with the 
sound file that affect its playback. Edit Samples permits actual editing of 
the sound's sample data. 



The Sound Parameters section of the screen (left side) 

The fields and soft keys are: 

• The Edit Sound field (title line of screen): 

This field is used to select the sound to be edited. It can be selected in 
one of two ways: 

1 . Press one of the front panel pads. The sound currently 
assigned to that pad will be selected. 

2. Use the Data Entry knob. Each click of the control will select 
the next sound in an alphabetized list of all available sounds 
in memory. 



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Chapter 8: Creating and Editing Sounds 



Once a sound is selected, the Soft St, Soft end. Length, Vol%, and Tune 
fields will immediately be updated to show the newly selected sound's 
settings. Also, if the selected sound is stereo, "(ST)" appears to the right 
of the sound name. 

• The Soft St (soft start) field: 

When a sound is played, play actually starts not at the absolute 
beginning of the sound but rather at the position within the sound 
specified in this field. It is actually three interrelated fields: 

1. Seconds (0-999), 

2. IVIilliseconds (0-999), and 

3. Samples (0-39; at the 40kHz sample rate, there are 40 
samples to a millisecond.) 

Increasing this value above 000.000.00 will cause the sound to start 
playback from a location later than the actual start, but will retain the 
unused beginning portion of the sound. It is possible to delete this 
unused portion by using the <Do> soft key, described below. To find the 
best soft start address for the sound automatically, use the <Best st> soft 
key, described below. 

• The Soft end field: 

When a sound is played, play actually stops not at the absolute end of 
the sound but rather at the position within the sound specified in this 
field. It is a seconds.milliseconds.samples-format field as used in the 
Soft st field above. Decreasing this value below the address in the 
Length field will cause the sample to stop playing sooner than the actual 
end, but will not delete the unused end of the sound from memory. 
However, the end can be deleted from memory by using the <Do> soft 
key, described below. 

• The Length field: 

This field shows the total size of the sound, in 

seconds. milliseconds. samples format. This field is for indication only — it 

cannot be edited directly. 

• The Vol% (volume percentage) field: 

This is an initial volume control for the sound, and affects all outputs. The 

range is 1 to 200% and is initially set to 100%. The intended purpose of 
this parameter is to adjust the sound's volume to be roughly equal to the 
levels of other sounds. 

• The Tune field: 

This is an initial tuning setting for the sound. This tuning value adds to 
the other tuning values found in the program and to each note's Note 
Variation tuning data. The range is from -120 to +60 in increments of 0.1 
semitone. The intended purpose of this parameter is to adjust the 
sound's tuning to be at the apparent center of its range. 

• The <Piay X> soft key: 

Pressing this soft key plays the selected sound, from soft start address 
to soft end address, at full velocity level through the stereo mix outputs, 
panned center. 

• The <Best st> (best start) soft key: 

This function automatically finds the point within a sound at which the 
drum strike begins, bypassing any dead space at the beginning of the 



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Chapter 8: Creating and Editing Sounds 



sound which could cause playback delays. Pressing this soft key causes 
the following screen to appear: 



========= Find Best Soft Start ========A 

Start threshold%: 5 

Press <Do it> to change SOFT START to 
earliest sample that exceeds threshold. 



<Do it> 



It works by searching through the sound for the earliest sample that 
exceeds the threshold entered into the Start threshold field. To find the 
best start, enter a number into the field (5% is a good starting point) and 
press <Do it>. At that time, the Edit Sound screen reappears with tlie 
Soft st field set to the optimum starting value. Experiment with the 
threshold value. A value too low will start the sound too early, causing a 
slight playback delay; a value too high will start too far into the sound, 
cutting off too much of the beginning. 



The Edit Samples section of the screen (right side) 

This section allows the editing of the sound's actual sample data. The 
following is a description of the fields and soft keys. 



• The Zone st (zone start) and Zone end fields: 

These two fields are used to edit the actual sample data. They define 
the start and end of a zone to be altered with the Do field and <Do> soft 
key. The contents of the zone can be copied, deleted, silenced, or 
reversed. Both fields are of the seconds.milliseconds.samples format as 
described in the Soft st section above. 

• The Play X field: 

This field works in conjunction with the <Play X> soft key to audition any 

portion of the sound before editing. When the <Play X> key is pressed, it 
plays the portion of the sound that is currently selected in the PLAY X 
field, a choice field. The options are: 

ALL (the entire sound) 

ZONE (from the start to the end of the zone) 

TEMP (the current contents of the temporary storage area) 

BEFORE ZONE (the portion of the sound before the zone start) 

AFTER ZONE (the portion of the sound after the zone end) 

BEFR SOFT ST (the portion of the sound before the soft start) 

AFTR SFT END (the portion of the sound after the soft end) 

COMMENT: Because ofttie way tfie MPC60 internally plays 
sounds, up to approximately 20 milliseconds (randomly) of the 



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Chapter 8: Creating and Editing Sounds 



end of a sound is not lieard. Take this into account when piaying 
a portion of a sound. For example, when piaying a region from 
001. 000. 00 to 002. 000. 00, you may only hear all but the last 20 
milliseconds of this region. 

• The Do field: 

This field works in conjunction with the <Do> soft key. It is a choice field, 
used to select one of a number of editing operations that will be 
performed when the <Do> soft key Is pressed. The options are: 

COPY ZONE->TEMP (copy the contents of the zone to the 

temporary storage area) 
INS TEMP->ZON ST (copy the contents of the temporary 

storage area and Insert them at the address shown In the 

Zone st field) 

INS TEMP->ZN END (copy the contents of the temporary 
storage area and insert them at the address shown in the 
Zone end field) 

DELETE ZONE (delete the contents of the zone and close the 
gap) 

DEL BEFR SOFT ST (delete the area before the soft start) 
DEL AFTR SFT END (delete the area after the soft end) 
SILENCE ZONE (silence the contents of the zone) 
REVERSE ZONE (reverse the contents of the zone) 

COMMENT: The contents of the temporary storage area are lost 
whenever the Edit Sound screen is exited. 

• The <Play X> soft key: 

This soft key works in conjunction with the Play X field. When pressed, it 
plays the portion of the sound that is currently displayed in the Play X 
field. 

• The <Do> soft key: 

This soft key works in conjunction with the Do field. When pressed. It 
performs the action currently selected in the Do field. 



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Chapter 8: Creating and Editing Sounds 



Renaming, Copying, and Deleting a Sound 



To rename, copy, or delete a sound, or delete all sounds, select option 7 
from the SOUNDS menu. The following screen will appear: 



====== Rename, Copy, Delete Sound =====A 

Select sound : Sound name 



<Play> <Rename> <Copy> <Delete> 



The fields and soft keys are: 

• The Select sound field: 

This field is used to select the sound to be renamed, copied, or deleted. 
It is a choice field containing an alphabetic list of all sounds in memory. 
Pressing a pad will select the sound currently assigned to that pad in the 
current program. 

• The <Play> soft key: 

Pressing this soft key plays the selected sound at full velocity level 
through the stereo outputs. 

• The <Rename> soft key: 

Pressing this soft key causes a new field, New name, to appear below 
the Select sound field: 





Rename Sound 


= A 


Select sound: 


Sound_name 




New name : 


Sound_name 




<Do it> 







Enter the new name in the New name field, using the same method as 
was used to edit the Sequence Name field in the Play/Record screen. 
Once the new name is entered, press <Do it>. 



• The <Copy> soft key: 

Pressing this soft key causes a new field. Name for copy, to appear 
below the Select sound field: 



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Chapter 8: Creating and Editing Sounds 



============== Copy Sound =============A 

Select sound : Sound_name 
Name for copy : Sound_name 



<Do it> 



Enter the name for the copy in the Name for copy field, using the same 
method as was used to edit the Sequence Name field in the Play/Record 
screen. Once the new name is entered, press <Do it>. 



• The <Delete> soft key: 

Pressing this soft key causes the following screen to appear: 



============= Delete Sound ============a 

Select sound : Sound_name 
Mode: DELETE SOUND 



<Do it> <DEL ALL SNDS ! > 



This screen has an additional field, Mode, which has three options: 
DELETE SOUND 

Delete the entire sound. 
DELETE LEFT SIDE (CONVERT MONO) 

Delete the left side of the sound only, thereby converting the 

sound to mono. 
DELETE RIGHT SIDE (CONVERT MONO) 

Delete the right side of the sound only, thereby converting the 

sound to mono. 

Press <Do it> to perform the deletion. 

Pressing <Del ALL SNDS!> causes the screen to change to the 

following: 



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Chapter 8: Creating and Editing Sounds 



==== DELETE ALL SOUNDS FROM MEMORY! ===A 

ARE YOU SURE YOU WANT TO DELETE ALL 
SOUNDS FROM MEMORY? 



<DELETE ALL!> 
Pressing <DELETE ALL!> will delete all sounds from memory. 



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Chapter 8: Creating and Editing Sounds 



Triggering a Sound from an External Signal — the 
Audio Trigger 

This feature of the MPC60 allows one of its internal sounds to be 
triggered by an external transient audio signal. The triggering is non- 
dynamic. If dynamic triggering or triggering of more than one sound is 
needed you must use an analog trigger-to-MIDI converter, available from 
various manufacturers. 

To select this feature, choose option 8, Audio Trigger, from the SOUNDS 
screen. The following screen will appear: 



==== Audio Trigger (Use Sync Input) ===A 

Plays note : 64 /A01-Sound_name 

(Triggering is only active while this 
screen is displayed.) 



To use this feature, connect the triggering signal to the SYNC IN jack on 
the rear panel of the MPC60. The triggering signal can be any 
percussive sound, but best results will be achieved by using a signal of 
consistent dynamics and little background noise. The SYNC LEVEL 
control on the rear panel should be used to set the triggering threshold. 

The only field on this screen is the Plays note field. This is used to select 
which of the 64 note numbers (35-98) in the current program will play 
when the signal is received. Since the triggering is non-dynamic, the 
sound will always play at full velocity. 

COMMENT: Triggering can only be done wliile tliis screen is 
sliowing, and therefore sequences cannot be played while 
triggering is being done. 



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Chapter 8: Creating and Editing Sounds 



Stereo Sampling 



stereo sampling is accomplished by sampling each side of a stereo 
signal separately as two mono sounds, then combining them to a single 
stereo sound. Two new features help to synchronize the two sides into a 
stereo sound. 

To create a stereo sound, first sample each side of the incoming signal 
as two mono sounds. To combine the two mono sounds Into a single 
stereo sound, press SOUNDS, then 9, then 1, and the following screen 
will appear: 



==== Make Stereo From 2 Mono Sounds ===A 

Left: Snare_drum_L 
Right : Snare_drum_R 

(Press <Do it> to make Left stereo & 
move Right to Left's new Right side.) 



<Do it> <Ply/Stp> 



In the two upper fields, select the two mono sounds to be combined to 
stereo. When <Do it> is pressed, the right sound will be deleted from 
memory and the left sound will be converted to the new stereo sound. 

COMMENT: If the two mono sounds you are combining to stereo 
are each larger than 1/3 of the total MPC60 available memory, 
you may get a "not enough memory" message. To combine 
these large sounds, load the sounds in the following order: With 
all sound memory free, load or sample the left sound first, then 
load or sample the right sound, then combine them to stereo. 
This will allow the combining of sounds each of which are Yz the 
size of available memory. For example, in an expanded MPC60, 
this will permit combining two 13 second mono sounds to stereo. 

The next step is to synchronize the timing of the two sides or the new 
stereo sound. Press SOUNDS, then 9, then 2, to view the following 
screen: 



== Adjust L/R Timing 


of Stereo Sound ==A 


Sound: Snare_drum 


(ST) 


Lft start : 00 . 000 . 00 


Rt start : 00 . 000 . 00 


<Find> thres: 0% 


Right phase: NORMAL 


<Make permxPly/StpXFind best><InvertR> 



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Chapter 8: Creating and Editing Sounds 



Select the new stereo sound in the SOUND field. The LEFT START and 
RIGHT START fields have a similar function to the SOFT START field in 
the EDIT SOUND screen — they display the location within the sound that 
play starts, as SECONDS.MILLISECONDS. SAMPLES. The difference is 
that in this screen, there is a separate Soft Start parameter for each side. 
To synchronize, you must independently set these two fields to the 
desired starting sample within the sound, using one of two auto- 
synchronization features. Once set, pressing <Mal<e perm> maizes your 
settings permanent within the sound. 

There are two synchronization methods to help you set these two fields. 



Metliod 1: If tine sound lias a sliarp attacl< sucli as a drum strike 

If the sound has a sharp attack such as a drum strike, set the 
THRESHOLD field to "1" and press <Find best>. This will set each 
START field independently to the first sample that exceeds 1% of full 
dynamic range. This should synchronize the audible starts of each side 
to each other. If your sound has some noise before the start, you may 
need to set THRESHOLD to a higher value to bypass the noise. Press 
<Ply/Stp> to verify that synchronization worked and save the sound to 
disk. 



Metliod 2: If the sound doesn't have a clear start, such as a sampled 
phrase from a recorded song 

If your sound doesn't have a blank space before the intended start, then 
you can't use the <Find best> method above. In this case, you must use 
the following process: 

1 . Listen only to the MPC60's left output. Manually adjust the LEFT 
START field until pressing <Ply/Stp> causes the sound to start 
playing as close as possible to the intended start location. Use the 
SECONDS sub-field (00.000.00) to make gross adjustments then 
use the MILLISECONDS sub-field (00.000.00) to make fine 
adjustments. 

2. Listening only to the right output, do the same for the RIGHT START 

field. Now, the sides are roughly synchronized. 

3. To fine-tune the synchronization, press <lnvertR>. This will perform 
a process called "phase inversion" to the right side, making the right 
side out-of-phase with the left. (When finished, the RIGHT PHASE 
field will show "INVERT".) In your external mixer, pan both sides 
together to mono and listen to both sides. When the sides of a stereo 
recording are out-of-phase and mixed together to mono, any 
instruments panned to the center of the stereo recording such as 
bass and lead vocal will not be heard, or will be heard at a greatly 
reduced volume. 

4. Fine tune either the LEFT START or RIGHT START field until 
pressing <Ply/Stp> causes the greatest reduction in volume of any 
center-panned sounds such as bass or lead vocal. It is best to adjust 
the MILLISECONDS sub- field first (00.000.00), then the SAMPLES 
part (00.000.00). When the volume of these center-panned 
instruments is least, the sides are synchronized. 



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Chapter 8: Creating and Editing Sounds 



5. To test the synchronization, press <lnvertR> to return the right side 
to normal phase, pan the left and right outputs to normal stereo in 
your mixer, and press <Ply/Stp>. 

6. If it sounds good, make your changes permanent by pressing <Make 
perm>, then save the sound to disk. If necessary, adjust the SOFT 
END or SOFT START in the EDIT SOUND screen. 



COMMENT: To load an MPC60 stereo sound into an MPC3000, 
ttie MPC3000 must be running software version 3.1 2 or liigiier, 
available from Roger Linn Design. 



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Chapter 8: Creating and Editing Sounds 



Sound Compression 



Sounds may be compressed to Yi their original size to save sound 
memory space. This gives an IVIPCeO with memory expansion (26.2 
seconds) an equivalent maximum sound memory of 52.4 seconds! 
Compression does, however, add distortion and reduce clarity in the 
treble frequencies, and can add much distortion to sounds containing a 
large amount of high frequencies such as crash cymbals. 

To compress a sound, press SOUNDS, then 9, then 3, and the following 
screen will appear: 



============ Compress Sound ===========A 

Sound : Long_sound Tune: 0 

Right : Snare_drum_R 

Press <Do it> to compress to 1/2 size. 
Tune must be 0 or more. 



<Do it> <Ply/Stp> 



In the SOUND field, select the sound to be compressed, then press <Do 
it>. The selected sound's tuning is displayed in the TUNE field. (This is 
the same parameter as in the EDIT SOUND screen.) During the 
compression process, 120 is subtracted from the tuning in order to 
compensate for the faster play of the smaller sound. Since -120 is the 
lowest possible tuning, compression is only permitted on sounds with a 
tuning of 0 or greater. If your sound's tuning is below 0, you must retune 
it to 0 before compressing. 

After compression, save the sound to disk. It's a good idea to save it to a 
different file than the original uncompressed sound. That way, you have 
the option of loading either the normal or compressed version of the 
sound as needed. 



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Chapter 9: 
Saving to and 
Loading from Disk 



Chapter 9: Saving and Loading From Disk 



Overview 



The MPC60 has a built-in 3.5-inch double sided, double density disk 

drive for storing data. An optional interface, sold by Roger Linn Design, 
lets you connect SCSI drives such the Iomega Zip drive for vastly 
increased storage and save/load speed. (See the appendix for ordering 
information.) This chapter describes the procedures for saving and 
loading the various types of files. Since the MPC60 loses all sequence 
and sound data when the power is removed, it is important always to 
save any changes to disk before turning the power off. 

COMMENT: Although the MPC-SCSI hard disk interface is an 
optional accessory, this chapter describes disk operations for 
both floppy and hard disk storage. If you don't have the MPC- 
SCSI interface and a hard disk installed, your data screens will 
appear slightly different than shown in the following descriptions. 
The specific differences are detailed where they occur. 

Each 2DD floppy disk can store up to 793KB of data but not more than 
112 separate files. 



The six different file types: 

All data are stored to disk as files. Ail disk files used on the MPC60 use 
a 16-character file name, which you assign to the file when it is saved to 
disk. In addition, there is a three-letter file extension, which is used to 
differentiate the file types. The six types of files (and file name 
extensions) are: 

1 . FILENAME. SEQ: This file contains a single sequence. 

2. FILENAME.ALL: This file contains all 99 sequences and all 20 
songs. 

3. FILENAME.SND: This file contains a single drum sound. 

4. FILENAME. PGM: This file holds the contents of a single program 
and the names of all sounds used by that program, but it does not 
contain the actual sounds. 

5. FILENAME.APS: This file holds the contents of all eight programs 
and the names of all sounds used in those programs, but it does not 
contain the actual sounds. 

6. FILENAME. PAR: This file contains all settings that are normally 
retained in the MPC60, even when power is removed. These 
parameters are not saved within any other file type. 



Before proceeding, be aware of these important points: 

• When new disks are purchased, they are not formatted. Before using 
the disks, you MUST format each one using option 8 from the DISK 
menu (Copy,format,other). Disks pre-formatted to MS-DOS 720K format 



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Chapter 9: Saving and Loading From Disk 



will work, but they will have higlier capacity (793K vs. 720K) if you fonnat 
them again on the MPC60. 

• The 3.5-inch disks used in tlie MPC60 sliould be double-sided, double- 
density disks (2DD). 

• NEVER REMOVE A DISK FROM THE DISK DRIVE WHILE THE 
LIGHT ON THE FRONT OF THE DISK DRIVE IS ON! 



To access the disk functions, press the DISK key. The following screen 
will appear: 





= Save to Disk == 


=== Load, Other ==A 


1 


.A sequence 


7 . Load, erase, rename 


2 


.All seqs & songs 


8 . Copy, format , other 


3 


.A sound 


9. Select disk 


4 


.A program 




5 


.All programs 




6 


.System parameters 






Select 


option : 



The above screen displays a list of disk options. To select one, type the 
number of the desired option. Each of the options is described in detail in 

the following sections. (The 9th option, Select disk, will appear only if a 
SCSI hard disk is connected — this requires the Marion Systems MPC- 
SCSI upgrade.) 



The light above the DISK key 

The light above the DISK key has the same function as the light on the 
disk drive — to indicate that the disk drive is in use. In version 2 software, 
this light was used as a warning to indicate that some data in memory 
had been edited and therefore needed to be saved. Unfortunately, this 
feature had to be removed in order to make room in the ROM memory 
for all of version 3's new features. 



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Chapter 9: Saving and Loading From Disk 



Saving Files 



There are six options in tlie DISK key menu for saving files: 

1. Save a sequence 

2. Save all sequences and songs 

3. Save a sound 

4. Save a program 

5. Save all programs and sounds 

6. Save system parameters 

The screens for all of these save operations are very similar. All are 
discussed in the following sections. 



Saving a SEQ File (Single Sequence) 

To save a single sequence, select 1 (A sequence) from the DISK key 
menu screen. The following screen will appear: 



============ Save a Sequence ==========A 

Seq: 2 3-Sequence_name Size: OK 

Disk:SCSI DISK PART A Free: 793K 



<Do it> <Select disk> 



The fields and soft keys are: 

• The Seq field (sequence number): 

In this field, select the sequence number to be saved. The sequence 
name is shown to the right. The file name will be created from the 
sequence's name and the file extension will be SEQ. 

• The Disk field: 

This field only appears if your IVIPCBO contains a IVIarion Systems IVIPC- 

SCSI interface and a hard disk is connected to its SCSI port. It shows the 
active disk device: the floppy drive or one of the hard disk partitions. It is 
for display only and cannot be edited. To change from floppy drive to 
hard disk or vice versa, you must press <Select disk>. 

• The Size field: 

This field shows the size of the selected sequence in kilobytes. In order 
for a sequence to be saved, this value must be less than the free space 
on disk shown in the Free field . 



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Chapter 9: Saving and Loading From Disk 



• The Free field: 

This shows the amount of free space on 6\sk. 

• The <Do it> soft l<ey: 

Pressing this soft key saves the selected sequence to 6\sk. 

• The <Select dislo soft key: 

This soft l<ey only appears if your MPC60 contains a Marion Systems 
MFC-SCSI interface and a hard disk is connected to its SCSI port. It is 
used to change the active 6\sk device from the floppy drive to one of the 
hard disk partitions or vice versa. Pressing <Select disl<> causes this 
screen to appear: 



============== Select Disk ============A 

Select disk, then press <Select it> to 
return to previous screen. 

Disk: SCSI DISK PART A 



<Select it> 



To select a different disk device, select it in the Disk field, then press 
<Select it>. The options are: 

FLOPPY DISK 
SCSI DISK PART A 
SCSI DISK PART B 
SCSI DISK PART C 

(and other hard disk partitions if they exist) 

When <Select it> is pressed, the previous screen will be redisplayed and 
the selected disk drive will be active. 



Saving an ALL File (All Sequences and Songs) 

To save a single file that contains all 99 sequences and 20 songs, select 
2 (All seqs & songs) from the DISK key menu. The following screen will 
appear: 



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Chapter 9: Saving and Loading From Disk 



Save All Sequences 


& Songs A 


File name : All_f ile_name 


Size: OK 


Disk: SCSI DISK PART A 


Free : 27793K 


<Do it> 


<Select disk> 



The fields and soft keys are: 
• The File name field: 

Enter the file name in tinis field. The name can be changed in the same 
manner as the sequence name field in the Play/Record screen. The file's 
extension will be ALL. 



• The Disk, Size, and Free fields: 

These fields have the same functions as in the Save Sequence screen 
described above. 

• The <Do it> soft key: 

Press this key to save the file to disk. 

• The <Select disk> soft key: 

This soft key only appears if your IV1PC60 contains a IVIarion Systems 
MPC-SCSI interface and a hard disk is connected to its SCSI port. It has 
the same function as in the Save Sequence screen described above. 



Saving a SND File (Single Sound) 

To save a single sound to disk, select 3 (A sound) from the DISK key 
menu. The following screen will appear: 



============= Save a Sound ============a 

Sound : Sound_name Size: OK 

Disk:SCSI DISK PART A Free: 793K 



<Do it> <Select disk> 



The fields and soft keys are: 
• The Sound field: 

In this field, select the sound to be saved. The sound's name will be 
used for the file name and the file extension will be SND. 



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Chapter 9: Saving and Loading From Disk 



• The Disk, Size, and Free fields: 

These fields have tlie same functions as in tlie Save Sequence screen 
described above. 

• The <Do it> soft key: 

Press this key to save the file to disk. 

• The <Select disk> soft key: 

This soft key only appears if your MPC60 contains a Marion Systems 
MPC-SCSI interface and a hard disk is connected to its SCSI port. It has 
the same function as in the Save Sequence screen described above. 



COMMENT: The maximum sound size tliat will fit on one floppy 
disk is 13. 1 seconds mono or 6.5 seconds stereo. If you save a 
sound that is larger than this to floppy, the MPC60 will 
automatically save it as two "split" sound files, each of which fits 
on a single disk. The first part has "{1}" added to the end of the 
sound name and has a file size of 773K. The second part has 
"{2}" added to the end of the sound name and contains the 
remaining portion of the sound. When part 1 is reloaded, the 
MPC60 will prompt you afterwards to insert the disk containing 
the associated part 2 file. The part 2 file cannot be loaded by 
itself Also, to load one of these two-part "split" MPC60 sound 
files into an MPC3000, the MPC3000 must be running software 
version 3.12 or higher, available from Roger Linn Design. 



Saving a PGM File (Single Program & Sounds) 

To save a single program and all sounds used by that program, select 4 
(A program) from the DISK key menu. The following screen will appear: 



========= Save a Program (PGM) ========= 

Program: 19-Program name Size: OK 

Disk:SCSI DISK PART A Free: 793K 

Save :PROGRAM+SOUNDS (NORMAL) 
Replace same sounds on disk: NO (FASTER) 



<Do it> <Select disk> 



Saving a program involves two steps, which occur automatically when 
<Do it> is pressed: 

1. The Program file that contains all program data, including the names 
of all sounds used by the program (but not the sound data itself), is 
saved. 



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Chapter 9: Saving and Loading From Disk 



2. Each sound used by the program is individually saved as a sound file. 
If a sound file on the disk has the same name as the sound being 
saved, the new sound won't be saved. 



The fields and soft keys are: 

• The Program field: 

In this field, enter the program number to be saved (1-8). The program's 
name is shown to the right. The program file name will be created from 
the program name, and the file's extension will be PGM. 

• The Disk field: 

This field has the same function as in the Save Sequence screen 
described above. 

• The Size field: 

This field shows the combined size of the program file and all sound files 
to be saved. (Program files only require 4K each.) Since sound files with 
the same name as those already on disk won't be saved, it is possible 
that not as much free space will be needed as is indicated in this field . 

• The Free field: 

This shows the amount of free space on the selected disk. 

COMMENT: The MPC60 will allow large programs to be saved 
onto multiple disks. If the total size of the PGM file and its sound 
files exceeds the free space on the inserted floppy disk, a 
warning will appear on the screen, informing you how many 
disks will be needed. The MPC60 will save the PGM file and as 
many sound files as will fit onto the first disk. Then, it will present 
a screen asking you to insert another disk and will save as many 
sound files as will fit onto that disk. This process will continue 
until all files have been saved. To load this program file later, 
simply load the PGM file — it will load along with the sound files 
from the first disk, then a screen will appear asking you to insert 
the other disks, one by one, in order to load the remaining sound 
files. 

• The Save field: 

Program files contain no sound data so when saving a program, the 
sounds used by the program are normally also saved at the same time. 
This choice field permits the option of saving the program file by itself 
without the accompanying sound files. The two options are: 

1. PROGRAM+SOUNDS (NORMAL): 

This is the normal setting, saving first the program file then each 
sound file used within the program. 

2. PROGRAM ONLY (NO SOUNDS): 

This option allows only the program file to be saved without any 
sounds. 

• The Replace same sounds on disk field: 

This field appears only if PROGRAM+SOUNDS (NORMAL) is selected 
in the field above. It has two options: 



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Chapter 9: Saving and Loading From Disk 



1 . NO (FASTER): 

When saving a program (and its sounds), if a sound file exists on 
disk witli tlie same name as one of tlie sounds to be saved, ttie 
file is not overwritten by the sound in memory. If when saving a 
program you l<now that the sounds have not changed, this option 
will permit a faster save. 

2. YES: 

When saving a program (and its sounds), if a sound file exists on 
disk with the same name as one of the sounds to be saved, the 
disk file is overwritten by the sound in memory. If when saving a 
program you know that the sounds have changed, you should 
select this option. 

• The <Do it> soft key: 

Press this key to save to disk the program file and each individual sound 

file used in the program. 

• The <Select disk> soft key: 

This soft key only appears if your MPC60 contains a Marion Systems 
MPC-SCSI interface and a hard disk is connected to its SCSI port. It has 
the same function as in the Save Sequence screen described above. 



Saving an APS File (All Programs and Sounds) 

To save all programs and all sounds in memory, select 5 (All programs) 
from the DISK key menu. The following screen will appear: 



========== Save All Programs ========== 

File name : File_name Size: OK 

DiskiSCSI DISK PART A Free:30793K 
Save: APS FILE + SOUNDS (NORMAL) 
Replace same sounds on disk: NO (FASTER) 



<Do it> <Select disk> 



Two steps occur automatically when <Do it> is pressed: 

1. The All Programs and Sounds file (APS), which contains the data for 
all eight programs and the names of all sounds in memory (but not 
the sound data itself), is saved. 

2. Each sound in memory (even sounds not currently assigned to a 
program) is individually saved as a sound file. If a sound file on the 
disk has the same name as the sound being saved, the new sound 
won't be saved. 



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Chapter 9: Saving and Loading From Disk 



The fields and soft keys are: 

• The File name field: 

Enter the name for the file in this field. The name can be changed in the 
same way as the Sequence Name field in the Play/Record screen. The 
file's extension will be APS. 

• The Disk field: 

This field has the same function as in the Save Sequence screen 
described above. 

• The Size field: 

This field shows the combined size of the APS file and all individual 
sound files to be saved. (APS files require 48K.) Since sound files with 
the same name as those already on disk won't be saved, it is possible 
that not as much free space will be needed as is indicated in this field. 

• The Free field: 

This shows the amount of free space on the selected disk. 

COMMENT: Tlie MPC60 will allow large APS files to be saved 
onto multiple disks. If the total size of the APS file and its sound 
files exceeds the free space on the inserted floppy disk, a 
warning will appear on the screen, informing you how many 
disks will be needed. The MPC60 will save the APS file and as 
many sound files as will fit onto the first disk. Then, it will present 
a screen asking you to insert another disk and will save as many 
sound files as will fit onto that disk. This process will continue 
until all files have been saved. To load this APS file later, simply 
load the APS file from the first disk — it will load along with the 
sound files from the first disk, then a screen will appear asking 
you to insert the other disks, one by one, in order to load the 
remaining sound files. 



• The Save field: 

Program files contain no sound data, so when saving a program the 
sounds used by the program are normally also saved at the same time. 
This choice field permits the option of saving the program file by itself 
without the accompanying sound files. The two options are: 

1. APS FILE + SOUNDS (NORIVIAL): 

This is the normal setting, saving first the APS file then each 
sound file currently in memory. 

2. APS FILE ONLY (NO SOUNDS): 

This option allows only the APS file to be saved without any 
sounds. 

• The Replace same sounds on disk field: 

This field appears only if APS FILE + SOUNDS (NORMAL) is selected in 
the field above. It has two options: 

1. NO (FASTER): 

When saving an APS file and sounds, if a sound file exists on 
disk with the same name as one of the sounds to be saved, the 



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Chapter 9: Saving and Loading From Disk 



file is not overwritten by the sound in memory. If when doing an 
APS save you know that the sounds have not changed, this 
option will pennit a faster save. 



When saving an APS file and sounds, if a sound file exists on 
disk with the same name as one of the sounds to be saved, the 
file is overwritten by the sound in memory. If when doing an APS 
save you know that the sounds have changed, you should select 

this option. 

• The <Do it> soft key: 

Press this key to save to disk the APS file and each individual sound file 
cun"ently in memory. 

• The <Select disk> soft key: 

This soft key only appears if your MPC60 contains a Marion Systems 
MPC-SCSI interface and a hard disk is connected to its SCSI port. It has 
the same function as in the Save Sequence screen described above. 



A number of parameters in the MPC60 are not saved in SEQ, ALL, SND, 
PGM, or APS files. These settings, called system parameters, are 
retained in a special memory that doesn't lose its contents when the 
power is turned off. These settings include: 

• Names for all 64 MIDI channels 

• Master tempo 

• BPM/FPB select and frames per second select 

• MIDI Input Filter settings 

• Default settings for initializing sequences 

. . .and many more (see the Appendix for a complete list). 

These settings can be saved to disk in a file called a parameter file, 
which has the file extension PAR. To save a parameter file, select 6 
(System parameters) from the DISK key menu. The following screen will 
appear: 



2. YES: 



Saving a PAR File (System Parameters) 



=========== Save Parameters 

File name : File_name 
Disk: SCSI DISK PART A 



Size : 
Free : 



===A 
2K 
793K 



<Do it> 



<Select disk> 



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Chapter 9: Saving and Loading From Disk 



The fields and soft keys are: 

• The File name field: 

Enter the name for the file in this field. The name can be changed in the 
same way as the sequence name field in the Play/Record screen. The 
file's extension will be PAR. 

• The Disk, Size, and Free fields: 

These fields have the same functions as in the Save Sequence screen 

described above. 

• The <Do it> soft key: 

Press this key to save the file to disk. 

• The <Select disk> soft key: 

This soft key only appears if your IVIPCeO contains a IVIarion Systems 
IVIPC-SCSI interface and a hard disk is connected to its SCSI port. It has 
the same function as in the Save Sequence screen described above. 



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Chapter 9: Saving and Loading From Disk 



Loading, Erasing, or Renaming Files 



Tliis function is used to eitlier load, erase, or rename files on the current 

disk. In the case of a load, the screens will guide you to load the file into 
the proper place, according to the file extension (the three letters after 
the period in a file name, e.g., PGM). 

To load, erase, or rename a file on disk, select 7 (Load, erase, rename) 
from the DISK key menu. The following screen will appear: 



======= Load/Erase/Rename Files =======a 

File :File_name .ALL Size: OK 

Disk:SCSI DISK PART A Free(seq): 793K 



<Load> <Erase> <Rename><Select disk> 



The fields and soft keys are: 

• The File field: 

This field is used to select the disk file to be loaded, erased, or renamed. 
Use the Data Entry Knob to select from an alphabetical list of the files on 
the current disk. File names can be up to 1 6 characters, and are followed 
by a period and a three-character extension, which identifies the type of 
file: 

SEQ: a single sequence 
ALL: all sequences and songs 
SND: a single sound 
PGM: a single program 
APS: all programs and sounds 
PAR: system parameters 

• The Size field: 

This field shows the size (in kilobytes) of the selected file. It is for display 
only and cannot be edited. 

• The Free(seq) field: 

If a SEQ, ALL, or PAR file is selected in the File field, this field shows the 
amount of available sequence memory. If a SND, PGM, or APS file is 
selected, this field appears as Free(snd) and shows the amount of 
available sound memory. By comparing the file size to the available 
memory, you will be able to see if there is enough space available to 
load the selected file. This field is for display only and cannot be edited. 

• The Disk field: 

This field only appears if your MPC60 contains a Marion Systems MPC- 
SCSI interface and a hard disk is connected to its SCSI port. It shows the 



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Chapter 9: Saving and Loading From Disk 



active disk device, either the floppy drive or one of the hard disk 
partitions. It is for display only and cannot be edited. To change from 
floppy disk to hard disk or vice versa, you must press <Select disk>. 

• The <Load> soft key: 

Pressing this soft key loads the selected file. Instructions for loading 
various file types are given in the following sections. 

• The <Erase> soft key: 

Press this soft key to erase the selected file from the disk. An additional 
screen will appear asking you to confirm the erasure. 



• The <Rename> soft key: 

To rename the selected file, press this soft key. The following screen will 
appear: 



Rename a File 


A 


Rename the file: FILENAME. PGM 




to the new name: FILENAME 




<Rename it> 





To rename the file, enter the new name in the lower field in the same 
manner as you would change the Sequence Name field in the 
Play/Record screen, then press the <Rename lt>soft key. 



• The <Select disk> soft key: 

This field only appears If your IVIPCBO contains a IVIarlon Systems IVIPC- 

SCSI interface and a hard disk is connected to its SCSI port. It is used to 
change the active disk device from the floppy drive to one of the hard 
disk partitions or vice versa. If <Select dlsk> Is pressed, the following 
screen appears: 



============== Select Disk ============a 

Select disk, then press <Select it> to 
return to previous screen. 

Disk: SCSI DISK PART A 



<Select it> 



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Chapter 9: Saving and Loading From Disk 



To select a different disk device, cinoose it in tlie Disk field, tlien press 
the <Select it>soft key. The options are: 

FLOPPY DISK 
SCSI DISK PART A 
SCSI DISK PART B 
SCSI DISK PART C 

(and other hard disk partitions if they exist) 

When <Select it> is pressed, the previous screen will be redisplayed and 
the selected disk device will be active. 



Loading a SEQ File (Single Sequence) 

If a SEQ file is selected and <Load> is pressed, you'll see the following 
screen, in which you are asked which sequence number to load the 
sequence into: 



===== Load a Sequence file (.SEQ) =====A 
Load into sequence : 02-Sequence_name 



<Load it> 



Select the sequence number to load the file into, then press <Load it>. 

If the file is an MPC60 version 1 or 2 SEQ file 

If the SEQ file is a MPC60 version 2 file, additional screens are 
presented: 



=========== Load V2 SEQ File ==========A 

Each drum note's pad assignment must be 
converted to a MIDI note number using the 
editable table in the next screen. To 
standardize note-to-instrument 
assignments, use General MIDI numbers. 



<Next screen> 



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Chapter 9: Saving and Loading From Disk 

After pressing <Next screen>: 



=========== Load V2 SEQ File ==========A 

Use the same assigments for loading SET 
or STl files. If confused, just load it. 

Conversion Table 

MPC60 padiHIHT (AOl) 

Becomes note: 56 (Gen MIDI: COWBELL ) 



<Load it> 



In software version 1 or 2 SEQ files, notes in drum tracks were assigned 
to one of 32 pad names (HIHT-DR16). In the Version 3 software, notes 
in drum tracks are assigned not to pad numbers, but rather to one of 64 
MIDI note numbers (35-98). Therefore, all drum notes in version 1 or 2 
SEQ files must be converted from pad assignments to note number 
assignments. This is done using the conversion table in the screen 
above. The conversion table consists of two fields: 

• The IVIPC60 pad field: 

Select an IVIPC60 pad name in this field (HIHT, SNR1, SNR2, 
etc.) For convenience, the pad number is shown to the right . 

• The Becomes note field: 

This field shows the note number currently assigned to the 
IVIPC60 pad name shown in the field above. There is a unique 
note number assigned to each of the 32 IV1PC60 pad names. To 
change the note number assignment, edit the contents of this 
field. For help in deciding which note number to use, the General 
IVIIDI instrument assignment for the displayed note number is 
shown to the right. 

It is not necessary to edit the table. Your Version 1 or 2 sequence will 
load and play just fine if you press <Load it> without editing the table. 
The only reason to edit the table is if you want the note number 
assignments of the notes in the sequence's drum tracks to correspond to 
specific instruments. By default, MPC60 pad names will be translated to 
General MIDI note numbers having the same instrument name. For 
example, all notes assigned to the MPC60 pad BASS will be translated 
by default to note number 36, which has a General MIDI assignment of 
Bass Drum 1 . It is desirable to use General MIDI note number 
assignments because this is the standard for instrument note number 
assignments played over MIDI. 

This conversion table is also used to convert MPC60 SET or ST1 files, in 
which case the sound assignments are converted from pad numbers to 
note numbers. If you modify the conversion table, make sure that the 
same settings are used when loading any Version 1 or 2 SET or ST1 
files that you plan to use with the converted SEQ files. 

If you modify the conversion table from the factory-preset defaults, your 
changes will be retained in memory even after power is turned off, so 



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Chapter 9: Saving and Loading From Disk 



that the next time you load a Version 1 or 2 MPC60 sequence, it will be 
converted using your edited conversion assignments. 



Loading an ALL File (All Sequences and Songs) 

If an ALL file is selected and <Load> is pressed, the following screen 
appears, asking if you want to load the entire file or only one sequence: 



============= Load All File ===========a 

1 . Load entire file 

2 . Load a single sequence 



Select option: 



If "1" is pressed, an additional screen will appear warning you that all 
sequences and songs currently in memory will be erased: 



==== Load All Seqs and Songs (.ALL) ===A 

This will erase all sequences and songs 
currently in memory! 



<Do it> 



Press <Do it> to load the entire ALL file. 



If "2" is pressed from the above menu screen, an additional screen will 
appear asking which sequence to load from the file: 



==== Load 1 


Sequence From ALL File ====A 


Load seq:01 


-First_sequence 


Into seq:02 


- (unused) 


<Do it> 



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To load a single sequence, enter the sequence number from the ALL file 
that you want to load in the Load seq field, and the destination sequence 
number in memory in the Into seq field, then press <Do it>. 



If the file is an MPC60 version 1 or 2 ALL file 

If the ALL file is a IVIPCGO version 1 or 2 file, additional screens are 
presented, just as when an IVIPCGO version 1 or 2 SEQ file is loaded. 
(See the section above entitled, "Loading an IVIPCBO Version 1 or 2 SEQ 
file.") The only difference is that in this case, each sequence within the 
ALL file will be converted using the pad-to-note conversion table. 



Loading a SND File (Single Sound) 

If a SND file is selected and <Load it> is pressed, the sound loads 
immediately. No other screens are presented. To assign the newly 
loaded sound to be played from a pad, you must press SOUNDS, then 1 
("Assign sounds. Select Program"). 

COMMENT: The maximum sound size that will fit on one floppy 
disk is 13.1 seconds mono or 6.5 seconds stereo. If a larger 
sound file is saved to a floppy, the MPC60 will automatically 
save it as two "split" sound files, each of which fits on a single 
disk. The first part has "{1}" added to the end of the sound name 
and has a file size of 773K. The second part has "{2}" added to 
the end of the sound name and contains the remaining portion of 
the sound. If you attempt to load one of these "part 1" files, the 
MPC60 will prompt you afterwards to insert the disk containing 
the associated part 2 file. The part 2 file cannot be loaded by 
itself 



Loading a PGM File (Single Program and Sounds) 

A program file (FILENAIVIE.PGIVI) contains all information about the 
program except the actual sound data used in the program. When 
loading a program file, each sound file used by the program is loaded at 
the same time. If a PGIVI file is selected for load, the following screen 
appears: 



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============= Load Program ============= 

Program to load into: 1-PROGRAM_01 
Replace same sounds in memory : NO (FASTER) 



<Do it> 



Tlie fields are: 

• Tlie Program to load into field: 

Enter here the number of the program in memory that you wish to load 
into (1 - 8). 

• The Replace same sounds in memory field: 
This choice field has two options: 

1. NO(FASTER): 

When loading a program (and its sounds), if a sound file exists in 
memory with the same name as one of the sounds to be loaded, 
the sound is not overwritten by the sound on disk, and the 
program will use the sound of the same name already in 
memory. If you don't usually use different sound files with the 
same name in your sound library, choose this option because it 
will enable faster loading. 

2. YES: 

When loading a program (and its sounds), if a sound file exists in 
memory with the same name as one of the sounds to be loaded, 
the sound is overwritten by the sound on disk. If you often use 
different sound files with the same name in your sound library, 
choose this option to insure that the correct sound is always 
loaded with the program. 

COMMENT: If you select YES and you overwrite a sound In 
memory, this may alter the sound of another program in memory 
that uses the same sound. To avoid confusion, always try to 
avoid different sound files In your library with the same name. 



To load the program, set the fields as desired then press <Do it>. When 
<Do it> is pressed, the program file will be loaded, followed by each 
sound file used in the program. 

COMMENT: If the selected program's sound files span multiple 
disks, the MPC60 will first load the PGM file, then all of its sound 
files from the first disk. Then, a message will appear on the 
screen asking you to insert the disk containing a specific sound 
file (this is the second disk you saved to when saving the large 
program). The MPC60 will then load all needed sound files from 



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tlie second d/'s/c. If the program used more than two disks, this 
process wiii repeat until all of the needed sound files are loaded. 



Loading an APS File (Aii Programs and Sounds) 

If an APS file is selected for load, an additional screen is presented, 
warning you that all programs and sounds currently in memory will be 
erased when the APS file is loaded: 



====== Load All Programs & Sounds =====A 

Press <Do it> to load 'APS' file (all 
programs and all sounds) . THIS WILLL 
ERASE ALL PROGRAMS & SOUNDS IN MEMORY! 



<Do it> 



Press <Do it> to load the APS file. The APS file will be loaded, followed 
by each sound file used in the APS file. (APS files contain a list of sound 
names but not sound data itself.) If one of the sound files to be loaded 
already exists in memory, that file won't be loaded from disk. 

COMMENT: If the selected APS file's sound files span multiple 
disks, the MPC60 will first load the APS file, then all of its sound 
files from the first disk. Then, a message will appear on the 
screen asking you to insert the disk containing a specific sound 
file (this is the second disk you saved to when saving the large 
APS file). The MPC60 will then load all needed sound files from 
the second disk. If the sound files spanned more than two disks, 
this process will repeat until all of the needed sound files are 
loaded. 



Loading an IVIPC60 Version 1 or 2 SET or ST1 File 

The MPC60 Version 2 operating system used SET or ST1 files to hold 
an entire set of sounds and their assignments to the pads. In the Version 
3 software, SET or ST1 files are no longer used. Instead, programs are 
used to hold sound assignments. However, Version 3 allows SET or ST1 
files to be loaded, automatically converting pad assignments to note 
number assignments and loading them into a program, and adding all 
sounds from the file into sound memory. 

If a SET or ST1 file is selected in the Load File screen and <Load it> is 
pressed, the following screen will be displayed, in which you are asked if 
you want to load the entire file or only a single sound within the file: 



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========= Load SET or STl file ========A 

1. Load entire file (add sounds to memory 
and load assignments into a program) 

2 . Load one sound from the SET file 



Select option: 



To load the entire SET or ST1 file 

If 1 is selected, the SET file's assignments will be loaded into a program. 
A screen will appear asking you which program to load the assignments 
into: 



====== Load MPC60 SET or STl file == 

Load the file's pad assignments into 
program: 8-Program_name 

(Sounds will be added to memory) 



<Proceed> 



As the screen shows, all sounds contained in the SET file will be 

separated into individual sounds and added to the sound memory. When 
<Proceed> is pressed, two additional screens are presented: 



========= Load SET or STl File ========A 

Each sound's pad assignment must be 
converted to a MIDI note number using the 
editable table in the next screen. To 
standardize note-to-instrument 
assignments, use General MIDI numbers. 



<Next screen> 



After pressing <Next screen>: 



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========= Load SET or STl File ========A 

Use the same assignments for loading SEQ 
or ALL files. If confused, just load it. 

Conversion Table 

MPC60 Pad:HIHT-CLSD (AOl) 

Becomes note: 55 (Gen MIDI: COWBELL ) 



<Load file> 



In MPC60 Version 2 SET or ST1 files, sounds were assigned to one of 
32 pad names (HIHT-CLSD, HIHT-MEDM, HIHT-OPEN, SNR1, SNR2 ... 
DR15, and DR16.) In the Version 3 software, SET and ST1 files are not 
used. Instead, programs are used to Inold sound assignments. But in 
programs, sounds are assigned to one of 64 note numbers (35-98) 
instead of to pad names. Therefore, in order to load the SET or ST1 file, 
these pad assignments must be converted to note number assignments. 
This is done automatically when <Load file> is pressed in the screen 
above. Assignments are made according to the conversion table 
displayed in the lower part of the screen. The conversion table consists 
of two fields: 

• The MPC60 pad field: 

Select one of the 32 MPC60 Version 2 pad names in this field. 
For convenience, the pad number is shown to the right. 

• The Becomes note field: 

This field shows the note number to which the displayed pad 
name assignment will be converted. There is a unique note 
number assignment for each of the 32 MPC60 pad names. To 
change the note number assignment, edit the contents of this 
field. For convenience in deciding which note number to use, the 
General MIDI instrument assignment for the displayed note 
number is shown to the right. 

It is not necessary to edit the table. Your Version 1 or 2 SET or ST1 file 
will load and play just fine if you press <Load it> without editing the table. 
The only reason to edit the table is if you want the resulting program's 
note number-to-sound assignments to correspond to specific 
instruments. By default. Version 2 pad names will be translated to 
General MIDI note numbers having the same instrument name. For 
example, a sound assigned to the Version 2 pad BASS will be translated 
by default to note number 36, which has a General MIDI assignment of 
Bass Drum 1 . It is desirable to use General MIDI note number 
assignments because this is the standard for instrument note number 
assignments played over MIDI. 

This conversion table is also used to convert Version 2 SEQ or ALL files, 

in which case the sound assignments are converted from pad numbers 
to note numbers. If you modify the conversion table, make sure that the 
same settings are used when loading any Version 2 SEQ or ALL files 
that you plan to use with the converted SET or ST1 files. 



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Chapter 9: Saving and Loading From Disk 



If you modify the conversion table from the factory-preset defaults, your 
changes will be retained in memory even after power is turned off, so 
tliat tile next time you load a Version 2 sequence, it will be converted 
using your edited conversion assignments. 

COMMENT: An ST1 file is a SET file that is too large to fit on a 
single disk, so it is saved in two parts: FILENAME.ST1 (the first 
disk) and FILENAME.ST2 (the second disk). After you load an 
ST1 file, a message will appear on the screen asking you to 
insert the disk containing the ST2 file associated with the ST1 
just loaded. Other than this additional message screen, loading 
ST1 files is identical to loading SET files. 



To load only one sound from the SET or ST1 file 



If 2 (Load one sound from the SET file) is selected from the Load SET or 
ST1 File menu screen, the following screen will appear: 



=== Load One Sound 


From SET/STl File ==A 


Sound :BIG_SOUND 


Size: OK 




Free (snd) : 793K 


<Do it> 



The fields and soft keys are: 



• The Sound field: 

This field contains an alphabetical list of the sounds in the file. Use the 
Data Entry Knob to select one of the sounds. 

• The Size field: 

This shows the amount of memory in kilobytes that will be required in 
order to load the selected sound. 

• The Free(snd) field: 

This shows the number of free kilobytes in sound memory. 

• The <Do it> soft key: 

Pressing this soft key loads the sound from the file. 

COMMENT: If a single sound is being loaded from an ST1 file 
and the actual sound to be loaded exists on the corresponding 
ST2 disk, a screen will appear asking you to insert the ST2 disk. 



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Chapter 9: Saving and Loading From Disk 

Loading a PAR File (System Parameters) 



If a PAR file is selected for loading in the Load File screen and <Load it> 
is pressed, a screen will appear warning you that all existing system 
parameters in memory will be erased. To load the file, press <Load it> in 
that screen. 



Files That Automatically Load on Power-Up 

if a disk is in the drive when power is turned on, the MPC60 will load 
from the disk the first APS (all programs and sounds) file that it finds, 
including all sound files used by the APS file. If more than one APS file 
exists on the disk, the first one found will be loaded. If no APS files exist 
on the disk, up to 8 PGM (program) files will then be loaded into 
consecutive program numbers (including all sound files used by the 
PGM files). Next, the first ALL file (all sequences and songs) that is 
found will be loaded. 

To cause specific programs, sounds, sequences, and songs to load 
automatically when power is turned on, save a single APS file to a disk 
that contains the desired programs and sounds, then save an ALL file 
that contains the appropriate sequences and songs to the same disk. 
Insert this disk in the drive and turn the power on — the APS and ALL files 
will load automatically. 

If you have Marion System MPC-SCSI interface installed and a SCSI 
hard disk connected, and no floppy disk is in the drive when power is 
turned on, the MPC60 will load the following files from partition A of the 
hard disk automatically: STARTUP.APS (and all sound files used by that 
file) and STARTUP.ALL. 



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Saving and Loading IVIIDI Files 



MIDI Files are an industry-standard file fonnat used for moving 

sequences from one sequencer to another. The MPC60 will permit you 
to convert your sequences to MIDI Files or your MIDI files to MPC60 
sequences. This is particularly useful for exchanging sequences 
between your MPC60 and an external computer sequencer. 

There was not enough room in the MPC60's software ROM chips to hold 
all of the features of version 3.1 , so MIDI File conversions must be done 
by loading in the special utility disk included with version 3.1 , "MPC60 
MIDI File Convert". When this is loaded, no other MPC60 functions will 
operate — only MIDI File conversions — until you turn power on again 
without the utility disk inserted. 

When converting between MPC60 sequences and MIDI Files, the MIDI 
Files must be stored on Double Sided Double Density disks (DS/DD) that 
are formatted to Windows 720K byte format. This is the only disk format 
that is readable by the MPC60, a Windows computer and a Macintosh. 
When you buy DS/DD disks (the disks that the MPC60 uses) they are 
usually pre-formatted to Windows 720K format. If not, you must format 
them to Windows 720K in any Windows or Macintosh computer. 

To convert between an MPC60 sequence file and a MIDI File, insert the 
disk "MPC60 MIDI File Convert" in the drive and turn power on. Once 
loaded, your MPC60 is ready for converting. A screen will appear asking 
you to insert a disk containing the sequence or MIDI file to be converted. 



If converting an MPC60 sequence file, insert the MPC60 disk containing 
the file and press <Proceed>. If converting a MIDI File on a 720K disk, 
insert the disk and press <Proceed>. The main conversion screen will 
then appear: 



======= Convert To/From MIDI File ====== 

File iBIGSEQUENCE . SEQ Size: 52K 

Free: 368K 



<Load> 



To convert a MIDI file to an MPC60 sequence file 
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To load a MIDI file, the disk must be a Windows 720K disk. The file must 
have a standard DOS eight character file name and a three-character file 
name extension of either ".MID", ".MFF" or ".SMF". 

From the "Convert To/From MIDI File" screen, select the MIDI file to be 
converted and press <Load>. The following screen will appear: 



============ Load MIDI File ========= 

Make drum tracks from MIDI channel: 10 
Arrange tracks: AS IN FILE (NORMAL) 



<Do it> 



To load the MIDI file into memory, set the fields as necessary and press 
<Do it>. The two fields are: 

The MAKE DRUM TRACKS FROM MIDI CHANNEL field: 
Tracks in MIDI files do not have a TYPE assignment (DRUM or MIDI). 
So when loading a MIDI file, the MPC60 doesn't know whether to assign 
any of the newly created tracks to DRUM in the Main Screen's TYPE 
field. If you know which MIDI channel is used in the MIDI file for drum 
notes, enter that number in this field. When loaded, any tracks created 
from events assigned to this channel number will be given a Type 
assignment of DRUM. Normally, MIDI files use channel 10 for drum 
notes, so it is usually best to enter 1 0 here . If you don't want any tracks 
to be assigned to DRUM, enter NONE here. 

The ARRANGE TRACKS field: 

This field only appears if a type 1 MIDI file has been selected for loading. 

It has two options: 

AS IN FILE (NORMAL) 

If this option is selected, the newly created sequence will have 

the same track numbering arrangement as in the file. Track 1 will 
map to track 1 , track 2 to track 2, 3 to 3, etc. This is the normal 
setting. 

ONE PER MIDI OUTPUT 

If this option is selected, one track is created for each 
channel/port assignment in use within the MIDI file, and all 
events are mapped to tracks with the same channel/port 
assignment, regardless of their original track numbers. For 
example, if a MIDI file to be loaded contains events assigned to 
channel/port 1A, 6D, 7B and 2C, then the resulting sequence 
would contain four tracks assigned to these channel/ports, each 
containing the events that had the same channel/port 
assignments in the MIDI file. This option will cause different 
tracks containing the same channel/port assignments to be 
merged together, but allows MIDI files with more than 99 tracks 
to be loaded. 



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COMMENT: If a type 0 file is selected for loading, the 
message "(Format 0 file, will auto-map tracks)" appears 
in place of this field. This indicates that, as with the ONE 
PER MIDI OUTPUT selection, one track will be created 
for each channel/port assignment that exists in the file's 
single track. 



Once the MIDI file is loaded into memory, the following screen will 
appear: 



=========== Save as SEQ File =========== 

Filename iNEWSEQUENCE Size: 33K 

Free: 793K 



<Do it> 



This screen is similar to the MPC60 "Save a sequence" screen. Change 
the 6\sk if desired, edit the sequence name as needed and press <Do 
it>. The newly saved sequence will not overwrite the original MIDI file on 

disk. 



To convert an MPC60 sequence file to a MIDI file 

From the "Convert To/From MIDI File" screen, select the MPC60 
sequence file (.SEQ) to be converted and press <Load>. The following 
screen will appear: 



=========== Save as MIDI File ========== 

Filename :MIDISONG Size: 23K 

Free: 793K 

Save as:MIDI FILE TYPE 1 Drum ch:10A 



<Do it> 



To save the MIDI file, insert a 720K Windows disk, set the fields as 
needed and press <Do it>. The following is a description of the fields in 
this screen: 

The FILENAME field shows the 8 character name for the MIDI file. You 
may edit this field as you would any MPC60 alphanumeric field. The 



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Chapter 9: Saving and Loading From Disk 



SIZE field shows the size of the MIDI file to be saved. The FREE field 
shows the amount of free space on disk. 

The SAVE AS field has two options: 

MIDI FILE TYPE 0: This type of MIDI file has only one track 
containing all of the sequence events, each event having a 
unique MIDI channel assignment. This option should only be 
used if you intend for your MIDI file to be played on a simple 
MIDI file player. 

MIDI FILE TYPE 1 : This type of MIDI file contains one track for 
each track in the original MPC60 sequence file. This option is 

preferred if you want to maintain track separation, as when 
transferring sequences to and from an external sequencer. 

The DRUM CH field determines the MIDI channel assignment for events 
saved from MPC60 drum tracks. In the MPC60, drum tracks need no 
MIDI channel assignment, but all events in MIDI files do. When the MIDI 
file is saved, any events in drum tracks (that have no other MIDI channel 
assignment) will take the channel and port assignment from this field. 
Normally, 10A should be used because this is the standard channel and 
port assignment for drum events in MIDI files. 



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Copying an Entire Floppy Disl^ 

Tliis feature permits an entire 793KB MPC60 6\sk to be copied to 

another MPC60 disk. This provides an easy way to back up your data 
disks. To copy a disk, have both your original disk and a blank formatted 
disk available. Select option 8 (Copy, format,other) from the DISK key 
menu, followed by option 1 (Copy a floppy) from the subsequent menu, 
and the following screen will appear: 



========== Copy a Floppy Disk =========A 

THIS WILL ERASE ALL SEQUENCES IN MEMORY! 
Are you sure you want to copy a disk? 



<Yes, proceed> 



The disk copy function requires the use of the sequence memory and 
therefore will erase all existing sequences before making the copy. Be 
sure to back up your sequences to disk before executing the Copy Disk 
utility. If it's OK to erase all sequence data, press <Yes, proceed> to 
proceed with the copy function. A series of messages will be 
subsequently presented, instructing you to alternately insert the source 
and destination disks in order to make the copy. 



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Formatting a Floppy Disk 



This function is used to format a new 6\sk or to completely erase an 
already-formatted disk. ALL DISKS MUST BE FORMATTED BEFORE 
THEY CAN BE USED IN THE MPC60I You should use Double Sided 
Double Density (DS/DD) disks. Disks of this type are usually sold Pre- 
formatted to Windows 720K fomnat. Tliese 720K formatted disk will work 
in the MPC60, but they will store only 720K instead of the MPC60's 
793K. 

COMMENT: DS/DD d/s/cs are becoming difficult to obtain 
because of tine greater popularity of high-density disks (HD). If 
you can't find any DS/DD disks, HD disks instead will work fine 
in the MPC60. However, if you take an HD floppy that has been 
formatted in the MPC60 and try to read it in an MPC3000, the 
MPC3000 will tell you that the disk is bad or not formatted. If this 
happens, simply cover the HD hole in the lower right corner of 
the disk with opaque tape. (This hole is located on the same 
edge of the disk as the "HD" emblem, and unlike the other "write 
protect" hole, has no sliding window.) This will trick the 
MPC3000 into thinking that the floppy is a DS/DD disk and will 
then be able to read it. 

To fomnat a disk, select option 8 (Copy, format, other) from the DISK key 
menu, followed by option 2 (Format a floppy) from the subsequent menu. 
The following screen will appear: 



========= Format a Floppy Disk ========A 

Press <Format it> to begin. 

WARNING: THIS WILL ERASE THE WHOLE DISK! 



<Format it> 



To forniat the disk, press <Format it>. 



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Floppy Disk Errors 



If you are getting lots of floppy disk error messages during file save or 
load, your floppy drive probably needs cleaning. This is done using a 
3.5" cleaning diskette, commonly available at computer or office supply 
stores. Follow the instructions on the cleaning diskette, then place it in 
the floppy drive and press DISK, then 7 (read the disk). This will cause 
the disk's read/write head to make contact with the cleaning paper inside 
the cleaning diskette. Repeat this process about 20 times. 

To guard against future disk errors, clean your floppy drive every 2 or 3 
months. If you still get disk errors after the cleaning, your floppy drive 
may need replacement. This is not unusual considering the age of your 
MPC60 and the heavy use of the floppy drive. To replace the drive, call 
your local Akai service center. 

If after cleaning or replacing your disk drive you still have trouble reading 

certain old disks, it may be because your disks are old or were saved to 
from a dirty or worn-out disk drive, causing the information on the disk to 
be weak. In this case, it may be impossible to retrieve the disk 
information. 



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Using the Marion Systems IVIPC-SCSI Interface for 
External Hard Disk Storage 

The MPC60 can be fitted with an optional SCSI port, permitting an 
external SCSI drive (such as the Iomega Zip drive) to be used for all disk 
save and load operations. This option, manufactured by Marion Systems 
and sold by Roger Linn Design, provides a 25-pin D-type SCSI 
connector which is compatible with hard drives used with the Apple 
Macintosh. All that is required for interfacing with hard drives that use 50- 
pin connectors is the appropriate SCSI adapter cable. The MPC-SCSI 
should work with any SCSI drive, but it is certified to work only with 
removable drives from Iomega (Zip and Jazz) and SyQuest. The vast 
majority of MPC-SCSI owners use Iomega Zip drives. One Zip disk holds 
the equivalent of 125 MPC60 floppies and runs approximately 4 times as 
fast. 

Before you can use a SCSI hard disk, it must be formatted. (See the 
following section to learn about formatting.) To use the formatted drive, 
simply make sure the hard disk is connected and turned on whenever 
you turn the MPC60's power on. When the MPC60's power is turned on, 
it scans the SCSI port and if it finds a hard disk, it makes it "active" — it 
internally recognizes it as ready for use. 

It is possible to make a SCSI hard disk active without recycling power, or 
to change the active device when two or more SCSI devices are 
connected. See the section "Making a SCSI hard disk active" to learn 
more about this. 



Terminating your SCSI disk 

In order for your SCSI disk to operate correctly, it must be terminated. 
This is an electronic term used with SCSI devices. By definition, 
termination means that when 1 or more SCSI devices are connected 
together, the devices at the ends must have a special electronic state 
called termination. The MPC60 is already terminated internally, so you 
only need to be concerned with terminating the SCSI device at the other 
end of the SCSI cable. 

If you have a single Zip drive connected the SCSI port, termination is 
easy: Simply set the TERM switch on the back of the Zip drive to ON. If 
you have another SCSI drive connected to the MPC60 and nothing else, 
read the drive's instructions to learn how to terminate it. 

If you have more than one SCSI drive connected to the MPC60, only 
terminate the last drive in the SCSI chain. 



Formatting a SCSI hard disk 



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To connect your external SCSI hard disk to the MPC60, turn power off 
for both the hard drive and the MPC60. Then, connect the hard drive to 
tile MPCeO's SCSI port. (WARNING: Never connect or disconnect 
any SCSI device while power is on. This could damage both the 
device itself and the MPC60.) Turn the power on to both the SCSI drive 
and the MPC60, press the DISK key, then press 8, then 3. The following 
screen will appear: 



=========== Format Hard Disk ======= 

Formatting will prepare the disk for 
storing data. 

Enter SCSI address of hard disk: AUTO 



<Next screen> 



There is one field: 

• The Enter SCSI address of hard disk field: 

If the only SCSI device connected is the hard disk to be formatted, enter 
AUTO here and the MPC60 will automatically determine its SCSI 
address. (It is strongly recommended to have no other SCSI devices 
connected during a hard disk format.) If more than one SCSI device is 
connected, enter here the SCSI address of the hard disk drive to be 
formatted (0 - 6). SCSI address 7 cannot be used because it is the SCSI 
address of the MPC60. 



Now press <Next screen>. The display should change to the following: 



=========== Format Hard Disk =========== 

Press <Format now> to format unit 5. 
THIS WILL ERASE ALL DATA ON THE DISK! 
(When done, you will be asked to enter 
the number of ^partitions' to divide the 
disk into . ) 



<Format now> 



It tells you the SCSI address of the attached drive (0-6). If you're sure 
you want to format the disk, press <Format now> to start formatting. The 
formatting process may take up to about 10 minutes. When finished, the 
following screen will appear: 



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Chapter 9: Saving and Loading From Disk 



=========== Format Hard Disk =========== 

The disk must now be divided into 
^partitions' of up to 30 mbytes each. 

Enter number of partitions: 4 (27 mbytes 
each, A - D, for a total of 110 mbytes.) 



<Do it> 



The lower portion of the screen warns that the hard disk's storage space 
must be divided into up to 26 partitions of no more than 30 megabytes 
each. These partitions are called partition A, partition B, and so on. In 
each of the save and load operations, you will be allowed to select which 
partition to save to or load from. Regardless of the size of each partition, 
no more than 224 files can be saved to each partition. 

At this point you must enter the number of partitions to divide your hard 
disk into. A higher number of partitions will reduce the size of each 
partition; a lower number of partitions will maximize the size of each 
partition. If you're unsure, a safe bet is to select the fewest partitions, 
allowing each partition to have the maximum size. When you've decided, 
press <Do it> to finish the format operation. 

COMMENT: When the formatting is finished, the hard disk is 
automatically made "active" (recognized by the MPC60 as ready 
for use). 



Making a SCSI Hard Disk Active 

In normal operation, a formatted SCSI hard disk is made active 
(recognized by the MPC60 as ready for use) by turning on the MPC60 
while the hard disk is connected and turned on. However, it is also 
possible to make a SCSI device active without recycling power, or to 
make a specific device active when two or more devices are connected. 

To perform either of these actions, press DISK, then 8, then 4, and the 
following screen will appear: 



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============= SCSI status ============= 

Status :N0 SCSI DEVICE IN USE 

======= Make SCSI Device Active ======= 

SCSI device address to make active: AUTO 
Timeout for SCSI scan: 30 



<Make active> 



Tlie fields and soft key are: 

• Tlie Status field: 

This field shows whether a SCSI device is currently in use and if so, tells 
the SCSI address of that device. There are eight possible SCSI 
addresses, 0 - 7. Your external SCSI hard disk has a switch to select 
one of these addresses. If a SCSI device is currently active, this field will 
display the address of that device. It is a display field and cannot be 
directly edited by the cursor. The 8 possible status messages are: 

NO SCSI DEVICE IN USE 
SCSI IDO IN USE 
SCSI ID 1 IN USE 
SCSI ID 2 IN USE 
SCSI IDS IN USE 
SCSI ID 4 IN USE 
SCSI IDS IN USE 
SCSI ID 6 IN USE 

Only addresses 0-6 may be used for external SCSI devices. Address 7 
cannot be used because it is the address of the MPC60. 

• The SCSI device address to make active field: 

This field determines which SCSI address will be scanned when the 
power is turned on or when <Make active> is pressed. It is a choice field 
with the following options: 



AUTO (scan for lowest addressed SCSI device) 

0 (scan for SCSI device address 0) 

1 (scan for SCSI device address 1 ) 

2 (scan for SCSI device address 2) 

3 (scan for SCSI device address 3) 

4 (scan for SCSI device address 4) 

5 (scan for SCSI device address 5) 

6 (scan for SCSI device address 6) 



If only one SCSI device is connected to the SCSI port, select AUTO. 
Then, when <Make active> is pressed or when power is turned on, the 
single device will be made active regardless of its address setting, 0-6. 
(If two or more devices are connected when the "AUTO" scan is done, 
only the device with the lowest address will be made active.) 

It is only necessary to enter a specific SCSI address (0 - 6) in this field if 
more than one SCSI device is connected to the SCSI port. In this case. 



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Chapter 9: Saving and Loading From Disk 



enter the specific address of tine device you want to mal<e active (0 - 6). 
TInen, winen <Mal^e active> is pressed or when power is turned on, the 
SCSI port will be scanned and only the device with the specified address 
will be made active. 

• The Timeout for SCSI scan field: 

When <Make active> is pressed or when power is turned on, the MPC60 
continuously scans the SCSI port for a device to make active. If it doesn't 
find a device, it continues its scan for the number of seconds entered in 
this field, then displays an error message. Since the scan is usually done 
at power-on when both the MPC60 and the hard disk are turned on 
simultaneously, it is important to give enough waiting time for the hard 
disk to spin up to operating speed. Most hard disks come up to operating 
speed within about 20 seconds, so the default setting here is 30 
seconds. If the MPC60 is not recognizing your hard disk when both 
devices are powered on simultaneously, try a longer scan time in this 
field. 

COMMENT: if you liave tiie Marion System MPC-SCSI board 
instaiied but aren't currentiy using a liard d/s/c, and you'd iil<e to 
eliminate tfiis power-on scan time, select 0 in this field. 

• The <Make active> soft key: 

Press this soft key to make the connected SCSI hard disk active. 

Whenever the MPC60 is turned on, it automatically performs the same 
function as pressing this soft key. In either case, the Status field will 
subsequently show that the hard disk is active. 



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Chapter 10: 
Syncing to Tape 
and Other Devices 



Chapter 10: Syncing to Tape and Other Devices 



The SYNC Screen 



To access the sync input and output settings, press tlie TEMPO/SYNC 
key, followed by tlie <Sync> soft key. The following screen will be 
displayed: 





==== Sync Out ==== 


Mode:MIDI CLOCK 


MIDI clock: OUT A 


Shift early (msec) : 20 




MIDI input: 2 




Song pointer: ON 




<SyncIn=OFF> 


<GenSMPTE> 



This screen has two sections. Sync In and Sync Out. 



The Sync In section 

The left side of the Sync screen shows all settings related to slaving the 
MPC60 to an external source. There are five possible sync input signals: 

1. MIDI CLOCK: 

This is the standard method of syncing two MIDI devices together. 

Since the sync signal is only sent over MIDI, this method cannot be 
used with tape. When the MPC60 is slaved to MIDI clock, the internal 
tempo settings are not used, because MIDI clock provides the tempo 
information. 

2. SMPTE: 

SMPTE timecode is a standard sync code used in video, film, 
and music. SMPTE code contains information about absolute elapsed 
time, but no tempo information. So when syncing to SMPTE, the 
MPCeO's internal tempo settings are used. When syncing to SMPTE, 
always use the same tempo setting each time you play the sequence or 
song. Tip: using the SEQ (sequence) tempo mode (set in the Tempo 
Source field of the Play/Record screen) will ensure that your sequences 
will play at the desired tempo, because that tempo is stored with the 
sequence disk file. 

3. MIDI TIME CODE: 

MIDI Time Code is similar to SMPTE timecode except that the timing 
information is converted into a signal that is sent over MIDI. As such, 
it cannot be recorded on tape. 



4. FSK24: 



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Chapter 10: Syncing to Tape and Other Devices 



This is tine general-purpose tape sync code commonly used by 
inexpensive drum machines and sequencers. FSK24 stands for 
Frequency Shift Keying at 24 2400Hz/1200Hz transitions per 1/4- 
note. This code contains no location information, so when syncing to 
it, you must start both devices from the beginning of the song in order 
for them to play in sync. Because of this, the IVIPCGO always plays 
from bar 1 when FSK24 sync is received. This code does contain 
tempo information, so the IVIPC60's tempo settings are not used when 
syncing to FSK. Also, FSK24 signal is always generated from the 
SYNC OUT jack when the IVIPCGO plays. 

5. 1/4 NOTE CLICKS: 

In the event that no sync signal exists on tape, this feature allows the 
IVIPC60 to sync to any percussive sound playing 1/4-notes. 



The IVIode field in the upper left corner allows the selection of one of 
these five sync input sources. The fields in the Sync In section vary 
according to the sync mode selected. 



If IVIIDI CLOCK Is selected In the IVIode field, the following screen Is 
displayed: 



Sync In 


==== Sync Out ==== 


ModeiMIDI CLOCK 


MIDI clock:OUT A 


Shift early (msec) : 20 




MIDI input: 2 




Song pointer: ON 




<SyncIn=OFF> 


<GenSMPTE> 



In this case, the fields are: 



• The Shift early field: 

This field Is used to compensate for any sync delays or 
delays that are produced by slow synthesizer attacks. It does 
this by shifting the MPC60's playback earlier in relation to the 
sync signal by up to 20 milliseconds. If the sync playback 
appears to be late, adjust this field until playback Is exactly on 
time. 

• The MIDI Input field: 

This field Is used to select which of the two MIDI Inputs, Input 
1 or input 2, will be used to receive the MIDI sync signal. It is 
often desirable to devote one MIDI input to sync and the other 
to other real-time MIDI messages, thus reducing the amount 
of data that has to flow on one MIDI cable. 

• The Song pointer field: 

When set to ON, MIDI Song Position Pointer messages are 
recognized. This allows the external device to change the 
MPCeO's current bar position within the sequence or song. If 



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Chapter 10: Syncing to Tape and Other Devices 



this field is set to OFF, incoming Song Position Pointer 
messages will be ignored. 



If SIVIPTE is selected in the IVIode field, the following screen is displayed: 



Sync In 


==== Sync Out ==== 


Mode : SMPTE 


MIDI clock: OUT A 


Start : 00 : 00 : 00 : 00 . 00 




Frames : 30 




<SyncIn=ON > 


<GenSMPTE> 



In this case, the fields are: 



• The Start field: 

Also called SMPTE offset, this field is used to set the 
incoming SMPTE time number that must be received in order 
for bar 1 of the sequence to start playing. Once the MPC60 
knows which incoming SIVIPTE number plays bar 1, it will 
automatically calculate the proper point within the sequence 
to start playing when higher SIVIPTE numbers are received. It 
will also know that it should not play if a SMPTE number is 
received whose value is before or after those values that fall 
within the sequence's boundaries. This field has five parts — 
hours, minutes, seconds, frames and 1/100 frames, 
separated by colons (:). The SMPTE start number applies to 
the active sequence only and is stored with the sequence 
when saved to disk. If syncing to SMPTE while in Song mode, 
a different SMPTE start number field appears in the Song 
screen and the number in this field is ignored. 

• The Frames field: 

This field is used to select one of four types of SMPTE time 
code. It should be set to the same type as the incoming 
SMPTE signal. The four types are: 



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Chapter 10: Syncing to Tape and Other Devices 



1 . 30 (30 frames per second, non-drop): 

This is tine old NTSC standard for blacl^ and winite 
television, and is the most popular standard for 
SIVIPTE-based music production in the U.S. and 
Japan. To assure widest compatibility for your 
recordings, use this standard if you are working in 
this field. 

2. 29.97 DROP (29.97 frames per second, drop frame): 
This is the NTSC standard for color television. In the 
MPC60 version 2 software and earlier, this mode was 
erroneously called 30 DROP; we apologize for this 
mistake. To be clear, this signal runs at a rate of 
29.97 frames per second and frames are 
occasionally omitted, in accordance with the SIVIPTE 
drop frame standard. 

3. 24 (24 frames per second): 

This is the standard for film. However, since film is 
usually transferred to video for scoring, composers 
generally still work with video rates of 30 or 29.97 
drop. 

4. 25 (25 frames per second, non-drop): 

This is the standard for European television (PAL 
/SECAIVI standard). 



If IVIIDI TIIVIE CODE is selected in the IVIode field, the following screen is 
displayed: 



===== Sync In ====== ==== Sync Out ==== 

ModeiMIDI TIME CODE MIDI clock: OUT A 
Start : 00 : 00 : 00 : 00 . 00 
Frames : 30 
MIDI in:2 



<SyncIn=ON > <GenSMPTE> 



In this case, the fields are: 

• The Start field: 

This has the same function as the field of the same name that 
appears when SIVIPTE is selected in the IVIode field, as 
described above. 

• The Frames field: 

This has the same function as the field of the same name that 
appears when SIVIPTE is selected in the IVIode field. 

• The IVIIDI in field: 



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Chapter 10: Syncing to Tape and Other Devices 



This field is used to select which of the two MIDI inputs, input 
1 or input 2, will be used to receive the MIDI sync signal. 



If FSK24 is selected in the Mode field, the following screen will be 
displayed: 



Sync In 


==== Sync Out ==== 


Mode :FSK2 4 


MIDI clock: OUT A 


Shift early (msec) : 20 




<SyncIn=ON > 


<GenSMPTE> 


In this case, the field is: 




• The Shift early field: 





This has the same function as the field of the same name that 
appears when MIDI CLOCK is selected in the Mode field, as 
described above. 



If 1/4 NOTE CLICKS is selected in the Mode field, the following screen 
will be displayed: 



Sync In 


==== Sync Out ==== 


Mode: 1/4 NOTE CLICKS 


MIDI clock: OUT A 


Shift early (msec) : 20 




Starts at: THIS BAR 




<SyncIn=ON > 


<GenSMPTE> 



In this case, the fields are: 



• The Shift early field: 

This has the same function as the field of the same name that 
appears when MIDI CLOCK is selected in the Mode field, as 
described above. 

• The Starts at field: 

If set to BAR 1 , the first click received will always start the 

sequence at bar 1 . If set to THIS BAR , the first click received 
will start the sequence playing from the current bar position 
within the sequence or song. 



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Chapter 10: Syncing to Tape and Other Devices 



Regardless of which sync mode is selected, there is one soft key in the 
Sync In section: 

• The <Syncln=ON > soft key: 

Pressing this soft key turns the sync input on or off. The soft key text 
shows the current state. If ON, the MPC60 always stands ready to sync 
to the incoming sync signal. If OFF, incoming sync signals are ignored. 



The Sync Out section 

The right side of the Sync screen contains all settings related to using 
the MPC60 as the source of sync signals. The MPC60 can send three 
types of sync signals: 

• FSK24, output from the Sync Out jack whenever a sequence or song 

plays 

• MIDI clock, output from any one of the four MIDI output ports 

• SMPTE, output from the Sync Out jack only while no sequence or song 

is playing and only while the Generate SMPTE screen is showing 

There is one field and one soft key on this side of the screen: 

• The MIDI clock field: 

This choice field determines which (if any) of the four MIDI output ports 
will send MIDI clock and Song Position Pointer signals. The options are 
OFF, OUT A, OUT B, OUT C or OUT D. 

• The <GenSMPTE> soft key: 

Pressing this soft key displays the screen that's used to generate 
SMPTE time code: 



============ Generate SMPTE ===========A 

Start=00 : 00 : 00 : 00 Frames/sec : 30 



<Start> <Stop> 



This screen permits SMPTE time code to be generated from the 
SYNC OUT jack. It can only be generated while this screen is 
showing. It is not generated while the MPC60 is playing. The 
fields and soft keys are: 

• The Start= field: 

This is the SMPTE timecode number at which the generated 
time code will start. The four parts of the field are hours, minutes, 
seconds and frames. Normally, this should be set to 



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Chapter 10: Syncing to Tape and Other Devices 



00:00:00:00. While the SMPTE code is being generated (when 
<Start> is pressed), this field will continuously update to show 
the current timecode number being output. When <Stop> is 
pressed, the starting value will be redisplayed. 

• The Frames/sec field: 

This field has the same function as the similarly-labeled fields in 
the Tempo screen and the Sync Input section of the Sync 
screen. Use it to select which of the four SIVIPTE rates (30, 29.97 
drop, 24 or 25) you wish to generate. Be sure to set the proper 
SIVIPTE rate in this field before recording the SMPTE signal to 
tape. 

• The <Start> soft key: 

Pressing this soft key starts SMPTE generation. 

• The <Stop> soft key: 

Pressing this soft key stops SMPTE generation. 



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Chapter 10: Syncing to Tape and Other Devices 



Syncing to Tape and Other Devices: Examples 



This section provides step-by-step examples of liow to sync to eacli of 
the five sync signals. 



Syncing to MIDI Clock 



To generate MIDI clock with Song Position Pointer: 

1 . In the Sync screen, set the MIDI sync field (in the Sync Out section) to 
the MIDI port that you want the sync signal to be sent from (OUT A, 
OUTB, OUT Cor OUT D.) 

2. Play a sequence (or, if in Song mode, play a song). While playing, the 
MIDI clock signal will be sent out over MIDI at the cun-ent tempo. 



To slave the MPC60 to MIDI clock signal received from an external 
device: 

1 . Connect a MIDI cable from the MIDI output of the device sending MIDI 
clock to one of the MPC60's MIDI inputs. 

2. In the Sync screen, set the Mode field (in the Sync In section) to MIDI 
CLOCK and set the MIDI input field to the number of the MIDI input to 
which you have connected the cable. 

3. In the Sync screen, SOFT KEY 1 should show the text <Syncln=ON>. 
If it shows <Syncln=OFF>, press it once. 

4. Set up your MPC60 sequence or song to play as normal. 

5. Start the external device sending MIDI clock. The MPC60 will 
automatically play in sync. 



Syncing to SMPTE 



To record a SMPTE track: 

SMPTE timecode can only be generated by the MPC60 when It is not 
playing. Before recording any music to tape, record ("stripe") SMPTE 
timecode onto one track of your multitrack tape. 

1 . Connect the SYNC OUT jack of the MPC60 to the input of one track of 
your multitrack tape recorder. 

2. Access the Generate SMPTE screen by pressing TEMPO/SYNC, then 
the <SyncScreen> soft key, followed by the <GenSMPTE> soft key. 



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Chapter 10: Syncing to Tape and Other Devices 



3. Set the Start field to 00:00:00:00 or the desired start time. 

4. Set the Frames/sec field to the desired SMPTE mode. In the U.S., the 
standard for music production using SMPTE is 30. 

5. To set the proper recording level, press <Start>; this will start the 
SMPTE generation. Then set the recording level of the tape recorder 
to about -3dB. Press <Stop> to stop generating. 

6. Start the tape recorder recording. 

7. Press <Start> to start generating SMPTE time code. 

8. Wait until enough time has passed to allow for the total duration of 
your song (plus a litte extra time to allow for changes in the 
arrangement). Press <Stop> to stop SMPTE generation, and then 
stop the tape recorder. Your tape now contains the SMPTE code. 



To play back a sequence in sync to SMPTE: 

1 . Connect the output of the tape track that contains the SMPTE signal to 
the SYNC IN ]ack of the MPC60. Set the SYNC IN LEVEL l^nob to 
about 1/2. 

2. From the Play/Record screen, select the sequence that you intend to 
play in sync with, and start the incoming timecode. 

3. Press the TEMPO/SYNC key and set the Tempo Source field to 
SEQUENCE. This causes the MPC60 to use the tempo setting that's 
stored within the sequence, so that it will always be remembered. 
(This is true even when the sequence is saved to disk and later 
recalled, as master tempo settings are only saved in PAR files, not in 
ALL files.) It is important for the MPC60 to remember the tempo 
setting because SMPTE time code does not provide any tempo 
information. 

4. Set the Frames field to the SMPTE frame rate that matches the 
SMPTE timecode that will be received. If this field is set to a different 
frame rate than that of the incoming timecode, the playback tempo 
will be inaccurate. 

5. Set the Mode field in the Sync screen to SMPTE and press SOFT 
KEY 1 until it shows <Syncln=ON>. 

6. While in the Sync screen, set the Start field to the SMPTE location you 
want your sequence to start at. If you don't know, use 00:00:10:00.00. 
This will cause your sequence to start at a location 1 0 seconds after 
the start of the SMPTE code you recorded in this example. This will 
allow you to add some new parts in that first 10 seconds if you should 
later decide to do so. This setting only applies to the active sequence, 
so be sure that the sequence you intend to use is selected before 
setting this parameter. 

7. Press the MAIN SCREEN key to return to the Play/Record screen. 

8. Play the tape from a point just before the beginning of the SMPTE 
timecode. Once the code reaches the start time you have entered into 
the Start field, the MPC60 will automatically start playing from the 
beginning of the sequence, and will not stop until the sequence 
comes to its end (or the tape recorder is stopped). To stop playback 
early, press the STOP key on the MPC60 or stop the tape recorder. 
To play in sync from a location in the middle of your sequence, fast- 
forward the tape recorder to any point within the duration of the 
sequence and start playback of the tape. The MPC60 will start playing 
from the correct location within the sequence. 



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Chapter 10: Syncing to Tape and Other Devices 



COMMENT: If the MPC60 doesn't respond properly to the sync 
signal, try adjusting the SYNC IN LEVEL control on the rear 
panel. Find the lowest setting to which the MPC60 responds, 
then increase the level by about 1/4 turn. 

COMMENT: When playing a sequence from bar 1 in response to 
incoming SMPTE, the timing of the first note in bar 1 will be 
slightly late. To get around this problem, insert a blank bar at the 
start of the sequence (or song). This will cause the late timing to 
occur within the initial blank bar, so that the timing is stable well 
before the notes (starting in the second bar) start playing. 



To play back a song (in Song mode) in sync to the SIVIPTE time 
code on tape: 

1 . Connect the output of the tape track that contains the SMPTE signal to 
the SYNC INPUT of the MPC60. Set the SYNC IN LEVEL knob to 
about 1/2. 

2. In the Tempo/Sync screen, set the Tempo source field to 
SEQUENCE. This causes the MPC60 to use the tempo setting that's 
stored within the sequence, so that it will always be remembered. 
(This is true even when the sequence is saved to disk and later 
recalled, as master tempo settings are only saved in PAR files, not in 
ALL files.) Then, set each sequence in your song to the desired 
tempo setting. It is important for the MPC60 to remember the tempo 
setting because SMPTE timecode does not provide any tempo 
information. 

3. In the Sync screen, set the Mode field to SMPTE. Press SOFT KEY 1 
until it shows <Syncln=ON>, and set the Frames field to the same 
SMPTE frame rate as that of the incoming SMPTE signal. Ignore the 
Start field because this start time applies only to active sequences, 
not to songs. 

4. Press the SONG key and set up your song to play as you want it to. In 
the Song screen, set the SMPTE Start field to the SMPTE location 
where you want your song to start. If you don't know, use 
00:00:10:00.00. This will cause your song to start at a location 10 
seconds after the start of the SMPTE code you recorded in the 
example above. This will allow you to add some new parts in those 
first 1 0 seconds if you should later decide to do so. This setting only 
applies to the active song, so be sure that the song you intend to use 
is selected before setting this parameter. 

5. Play the tape from a point just before the beginning of the SMPTE 
timecode. Once the code reaches the start time you have entered in 
the SMPTE Start field, the MPC60 will automatically start playing from 
the beginning of the song and will not stop until the song has 
completed (or the tape recorder is stopped). To stop playback early, 
press the STOP key on the MPC60 or stop the tape recorder. To play 
in sync from a location in the middle of your song, fast-forward the 
tape recorder to any point within the duration of the song and start 
playback of the tape. The MPC60 will start playing from the correct 
location within the song. 

Syncing to MIDI Time Code 



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Chapter 10: Syncing to Tape and Other Devices 



MIDI Time Code is SMPTE timecode encoded over MIDI. Since it is a 
MIDI signal, it cannot be recorded on tape. Rather, it is used to sync to 
devices such as drum machines and sequencers. The MPC60 does not 
generate MIDI Time Code, but does sync to it when received from an 
external source. 



To play back a sequence or song in sync to MIDI Time Code: 

Use the same instructions as if playing a sequence or a song in sync to 
SMPTE (earlier in this chapter), except that in the Sync screen select 
MIDI TIME CODE in the Mode field and set the MIDI in field to the 
number of the MIDI input where the MIDI time code signal is connected. 



Syncing to FSK24 



Of the five possible sync modes in the MPC60, only three can be used to 
sync to tape: FSK24, 1/4 NOTE CLICKS, and SMPTE. SMPTE is 
preferable for many reasons, and is the standard for professional use. 
1/4 NOTE CLICKS can be used with tape, but since it provides low 
timing resolution it is not a good first choice for syncing to tape. FSK24 
was the tape sync method in general use for musical applications prior to 
the acceptance of SMPTE, and is still used by many drum machines and 
sequencers. If you don't have the SMPTE option, FSK24 provides a very 
good alternative. 

FSK24 sync code is generated in real time as the MPC60 plays. 

Remember that FSK24 sync code contains tempo information, so it is 
important that the tempo is properly set before the FSK sync tone is 
recorded to tape. 



To record the sync tone to tape: 

1 . Connect the SYNC OUT \ack of the MPC60 to the input of a track on 
your multitrack tape recorder. 

2. Set the recording level of the sync tone's track to -3 dB. (The FSK24 
sync tone is always emitted from the SYNC OUT jack, even when the 
MPC60 is stopped.) 

3. Create your sequence or song on the MPC60, making sure that all 
tempo settings and tempo changes have been finalized. It is 
important that the tempo be exactly as you want it throughout the 
sequence or song because the FSK24 sync tone contains all tempo 
information and cannot be changed after recording. 

4. Put the tape recorder into record mode and start recording. 

5. Play the sequence or song on the MPC60. Let it play until the its end, 
then stop both the MPC60 and the tape recorder. 



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Chapter 10: Syncing to Tape and Other Devices 



To play back the MPC60 in sync to the tape: 

1 . Connect the output of the tape track that contains the FSK24 signal to 
the SYNC IN jack of the MPC60. 

2. Set the SYNC IN LEVEL control on the rear panel to about 1/2. 

3. In the Sync screen, set the Mode field (Sync Input section) to FSK24 
and press SOFT KEY 1 until it reads <Syncln=ON>. 

4. Set up the MPC60 to play your sequence or song. 

5. Rewind the tape to just before the point at which you started recording 
the sync tone. 

6. Play the tape. Once the tape reaches the point where the sync tone 
starts, the MPC60 will begin playing its parts in perfect sync. Note that 
the current tempo setting is not used; tempo is provided from the sync 
tone on tape. To use FSK24, you must always start the tape from the 
beginning of the recording, as in this example. 

COMMENT: If the MPC60 doesn't respond to the sync signal, try 
adjusting the SYNC IN LEVEL control on the rear panel. Find the 
lowest setting at which the MPC60 responds, then increase the 
level by about 1/4 turn. 



Syncing to 1/4-note Clicks 



This method of syncing uses any cleanly recorded, percussive sound 

playing on 1/4-notes as a sync source. This allows you to add 
sequenced parts to a recording that contains no sync track. For example, 
the sync track could consist of a drummer recording a track of 1/4-note 
drumstick clicks throughout the song. Using this method of sync, the 
playback tempo is derived from the external 1/4-note clicks. 



To play the MPC60 in sync to 1/4-note clicks: 

1 . Connect the output of the tape track that contains the 1/4-note click 
signal (or other percussive audio source) into the MPC60's SYNC IN 
jack, and set the SYNC IN LEVEL to about 1/2. 

3. In the Sync screen, set the Mode field (Sync input section) to 1/4 
NOTE CLICKS. 

4. Set up the MPC60 to play your sequence or song. Set the playback 
tempo as close as possible to the intended tempo. The internal tempo 

will be used for the time between the first and second clicks received. 

5. Rewind the tape to just before the point at which the 1/4-note clicks 
begin. 

6. Play the tape. Once the tape reaches the first click, the MPC60 will 
begin playing. It will start at the current internal tempo, then it will 
gradually use the timing of the clicks for its tempo. To use 1/4 NOTE 
CLICK sync, you must always start the tape from the beginning of the 
clicks, as in this example. 



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Chapter 10: Syncing to Tape and Other Devices 



COMMENT: To smooth out any variations in tempo, the 
playbacl< tempo is averaged over time. It is possible for the 
MPC60 to follow slight tempo changes, but larger changes will 
cause it to temporarily lag behind or lead. It is possible to use 
almost any clean signal rather than metronome clicks, but the 
signal used must be very distinct and short, such as a cowbell or 
closed hi-hat, and there must be a minimum of background 
noise. Adjusting the sync input level control will help to minimize 
triggehng from background noise. 



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Chapter 1 1 : 
MIDI Functions 



Chapter 1 1: MIDI Functions 



Assigning Pads to Note Numbers 



In the MPC60, sounds in programs and drum notes in sequences are 

assigned not to pad numbers but to IVIIDI note numbers in the range 35- 
98. Eacii of tiie 64 pad/banl< combinations (A01-D16) is assigned to a 
unique IVIIDI note number (35-98) and it is the pad's assigned note 
number that is sent to tine sound generator, sequencer, and/or MIDI 
output when the pad is played. In other words, the MIDI note number is 
the basic unit of communication between the different sections of the 
MPC60 and the outside world. This communication is shown graphically 
in the following diagram. 



Pad 



MPC60 
Sequencer 

section 



MIDI in 



Pad number to 
MIDI note number 
assignment* 



"MIDI l<ey, option 1 




MPC60 
Sound Generator 
section 



MIDI out 

As you can see from the diagram, hitting a pad will generate a pad 
number, which is then converted into a MIDI note number. This note 
number can then trigger a sound in the Sound Generator section, be 
recorded by the Sequencer section, and/or go out the MIDI output. 
Similarly, note numbers coming in from the MIDI input can trigger a 
sound and/or be recorded into the sequencer. And note numbers played 
back by the sequencer can trigger internal sounds and/or go out the 
MIDI output. 

Assigning pads to note numbers is done in the following screen, 
accessed by pressing the MIDI key then selecting option 1 (Assign pads 
to MIDI note numbers) from the menu: 



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Chapter 11: MIDI Functions 



====== Assign Pads to Note Numbers ====A 

Mode : PROGRAM 

PadiAOl = Note:37 (Gen MIDIiSIDE STICK ) 



The fields are: 

• The Mode field: 

This choice field allows you to choose one of two sets of pad-to-note- 
number assignments: 

1. PROGRAIVI: 

The active program's pad-to-note assignments will be used. 
These 64 assignments are stored within each program (and 
saved in the PGIVI file). When the active program is changed, 
the newly selected program's assignments will be used. This 
choice is useful if you want each program to use a unique set 
of pad-to-note assignments. 

2. IVIASTER: 

A single master set of pad-to-note assignments will be used. 
These assignments will apply to all programs and will not 
change unless manually changed. These settings are stored 
in the PAR file. This choice is useful if you like the pad-to-note 
assignments to always stay where you last put them. 

• The Pad and Note fields: 

Together, these two fields comprise the table of 64 pad-to-note 
assignments. To view or edit the note assignment for a particular pad, 
select the pad number (A01-D16) in the Pad field with the Data Knob or 
by pressing a front panel pad. The pad's currently assigned note number 
will appear immediately in the Note field. To change the pad's note 
number assignment, edit the Note field. For convenience, the General 
MIDI instrument assignment for the displayed note number is shown to 
its right. 



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Chapter 1 1: MIDI Functions 



MIDI Receive Channel, Local Mode, Soft Thru, 
Note Variation Controller Assign and Sustain 
Pedal Processing 



Selecting option 2 (MIDI routing, note var cnti, sust pdl) from the MIDI 
key menu will display a screen that provides access to a variety of MIDI- 
related parameters: 



============= MIDI Routing ============a 

Active track receive channel: ALL 
Local mode: ON Soft thru: ON 

Assign Note Var slider to controller: 20 
Convert sustain pedal to duration: ON 



The fields and soft keys are: 

• The Active tracl< receive channel field: 

This choice field determines on which MIDI channel the active track 
receives its data from the MIDI inputs. The choices are 1-16 or ALL (all 
channels). 

COMMENT: If using the MPC60 as a sound generator played 
from the MIDI input, set this field to the MIDI channel you wish 
the sound generator to receive on. Also, select a DRUM track in 
the Play/Record screen. This will cause all incoming MIDI note 
events on the selected receive channel to be routed to the 
internal sound generator 

• The Local mode field: 

This is a choice field with two options: ON or OFF. If ON, playing the 
pads causes the internal sounds to play as normal. If OFF, then playing 
the front panel pads does not send notes internally to the sound 
generator but does send notes to the MIDI output (if the active track is a 
drums track and the Play/Record screen's Chn field is set to a MIDI 
channel). In the OFF mode, the internal sound generator receives notes 
from MIDI but not from the pads. 

Setting this field to OFF is useful if you want to use the MPC60's 
pads and sound generator with an external sequencer. This allows the 
pads to send notes out over MIDI without playing the internal sounds 
directly, and allows the external sequencer to play the sounds from the 
MIDI inputs. 

• The Soft thru field: 

If set to ON, any incoming MIDI data are routed in real time to the active 
track's assigned output MIDI channel. If set to OFF, they aren't. If you 



Page 206 



Chapter 11: MIDI Functions 



are using a single keyboard synthesizer (tine l<eyboard and sound 
generator are togetlner in one unit), tinis field should be set to OFF (or the 
keyboard's Local Control should be set to OFF). In this case, there is no 
need for incoming MIDI notes to be immediately sent out to the 
synthesizer's sound generator because it is already receiving notes 
directly from its keyboard. If you are using a MIDI master keyboard and 
separate synthesizer modules, set this field to ON. This way, the notes 
played on the keyboard will play the synthesizer modules in real time. 

COMMENT: When the Soft thru field is set to ON, be careful to 
avoid a MIDI feedback loop in your external MIDI cables and 
devices. A MIDI feedback loop occurs when an output MIDI 
message, because of some incorrect external MIDI connection, 
is immediately sent back to the input, then it is immediately sent 
back out (because the Soft thru field is ON), then back in, then 
back out, etc. If this occurs, the MPC60 could stop operating 
until one of the MIDI cables is disconnected. To avoid this, be 
very careful in connecting your external MIDI cables and devices 
to prevent a direct signal path from the MPCdO's MIDI output to 
its MIDI input. 

• The Assign Note Var slider to controller field: 

The function of the Note Variation Slider can be remotely duplicated by 
any external MIDI device sending MIDI control change messages. Set 
this field to the number (0-127) of the incoming controller that you want 
to affect the current slider value. For example, to use a MIDI keyboard's 
modulation wheel to duplicate the function of the Note Variation Slider, 
connect the keyboard's MIDI output to the MPC60's MIDI input and set 
this field to 1 , which is the default MIDI controller number for Modulation 
Wheel. 

• The Convert sustain pedal to duration field: 

In almost all sequencers, sustain pedal messages (MIDI controller 64) 
are recorded as received into the sequence along with the notes. This 
presents the following problems: 

1 . If you delete or erase a section of the sequence that contained 

a Sustain Off message, all notes after that location will be 
sustained until the next Sustain On message. 

2. If you play two or more tracks into the same MIDI output 
channel and only one track has sustain pedal information, the 
notes on the other tracks will also be sustained. 

3. If you merge a track with sustain pedal information into a track 
without sustain pedal information, notes on the resultant track 
will be sustained. 

4. If you overdub notes into a track containing sustain pedal 
information, the new notes will be sustained. 

The MPC60 can eliminate these problems by specially processing 
sustain pedal messages. If the Convert sustain pedal to duration field is 
set to ON, when the MPC60 receives a Sustain On message during 
record, it will NOT record it. Instead, any notes that are currently pressed 
will be internally held, even after they are released, until a Sustain Off 
message is received. The result is that the individual durations of notes 
are lengthened, so unwanted transfer of sustain information to other 
notes on the same MIDI channel is impossible. This has the added 



Page 207 



Chapter 1 1: MIDI Functions 



advantage of allowing you to adjust durations of sustained notes 
individually in Step Edit mode. 

Tliere are some situations in wiiicli converting sustain pedal to duration 
is undesirable: 

1 . On some synthesizers, this special sustain method will cause 
the synthesizer to ignore any new notes played after all 
available voices are used, because the synthesizer thinks the 
keys are still held. 

2. Some synthesizers have the ability to use MIDI controller 64 
for other purposes than sustain, so it is desirable to record it 
into the sequence. 

For these reasons, the MPC60's special sustain processing can be 
defeated. To defeat this special feature and record MIDI sustain 
messages (controller 64) into sequences, set this field to OFF. 



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Chapter 11: MIDI Functions 



MIDI Input Filter 



Selecting option 3 (MIDI input filter) from the MIDI key menu presents the 
MIDI Input Filter screen, which allows specific types of MIDI events to be 
either received or ignored by the MPC60: 



===== Sound Generator Input Filter ====A 
MIDI volume : RECEIVE MIDI vol now: 127 

Prog change : IGNORE 

======= Sequencer Input Filter ========= 

Event : NOTES 

Pass event?: YES Min change : 5 

Velocity mode : NORMAL Fixed veloc: 64 



There are two sections, the Sound Generator Input Filter and the 
Sequencer Input Filter. The fields are: 



The Sound Generator Input Filter section: 

• The MIDI volume field: 

This choice field has two options: RECEIVE and IGNORE. If set to 
RECEIVE, incoming MIDI volume messages (controller 7) will affect the 
sound generator's overall output volume on all outputs. If set to IGNORE, 
incoming MIDI volume messages will be ignored. 

• The MIDI vol now field: 

This field shows the last value of MIDI volume (controller 7) received. A 
value of 127 is normal (no attenuation). Any value less than 127 causes 
the volume of all outputs to be attenuated (reduced) from nonnal. A 
VALUE OF ZERO WILL SILENCE ALL AUDIO OUTPUTS EVEN IF ALL 
OTHER PARAMETERS ARE SET CORRECTLY! 

• The Prog change field: 

This choice field has two options: RECEIVE and IGNORE. If set to 
RECEIVE, incoming Program Change messages will automatically 
select the active program. (Incoming Program Change messages above 
program Swill select program 8.) If set to IGNORE, incoming Program 
Change messages will be ignored. 



Page 209 



Chapter 1 1: MIDI Functions 



The Sequencer Input Filter section: 

• The Event and Pass event? fields: 

The Event field is a choice field and can be set to any one of the 
following event types: 

NOTES 

PROGRAM CHANGE 
PITCH BEND 
CHANNEL PRESSURE 
POLY PRESSURE 
SYSTEM EXCLUSIVE 
MIXER VOLUME 
MIXER PAN 

OUTPUT/EFFECT LEVEL 
CO-BANK SELECT MSB 
C1-M0DULATI0N WHEEL 
C2-BREATH CONT 



C127-POLYMODEON 
TUNE REQUEST 

While one of these event types is selected, the Pass event? field 
displays either YES, indicating that the event will be recorded into 
sequences, or NO, indicating that the event type will be removed from 
the MIDI input data stream when encountered. To change the status of a 
particular event, first select the event in the Event field, then set the Pass 
event? field to the desired status — YES or NO. 

COMMENT: An example of a good use of this function is to 
prevent channel pressure data from being recorded into your 
tracks. If you are using a keyboard that produces channel 
pressure messages, all of these continuous messages will 
normally be recorded into the track, whether your synthesizer 
uses them or not. This will cause a lot of extra sequence 
memory to be used and will cause the sequencer to work much 
harder to play all of these messages, possibly causing note 
delays. To avoid this, turn off the recording of continuous 
controller messages unless your synthesizer is using them. To 
do this, select CHANNEL PRESSURE in the Event field, then 
select NO in the Pass event? field. 



• The Min change field: 

This field only appears if the Event field is set to PITCH, CHANNEL 
PRESSURE, STEREO VOLUME, STEREO PAN, OUTPUT/EFFECT 
LEVEL, or controllers 0 through 31. These are all continuous controller 
event types, meaning that large numbers of these individual events are 
used to simulate a gradual change in the specified parameter. For 
example, when you move a pitch bend wheel on a keyboard, a large 
number of pitch bend events are output from the keyboard, and all of 
them are recorded into the active track. The problem with recording all of 
these events is that they use a large amount of memory and they cause 
the internal computer to work very hard, possibly causing timing delays if 



Page 210 



Chapter 11: MIDI Functions 



large numbers of these events exist in a sequence. In many cases, 
however, many more of these events are output from the keyboard than 
are necessary to produce the desired effect. 

The Min change field is used to thin out the event data for the above 
specified event types, thereby reducing the total number of events that 
will be recorded into tracks. It works by only recording events that have 
changed more than a specified amount since the last received event of 
the same type. This amount is set in the Min change field. As with the 
Pass event? field, the Min change field shows the value associated with 
the event type shown in the Event field. For example, to thin out 
incoming channel pressure events: 

1 . Set the Event field to CHANNEL PRESSURE. 

2. Set the Pass event? field to YES. 

3. Set the Min change field to 5. 

This means that an incoming channel pressure message will be 
recorded only if its value has changed by more than 5 increments from 
the last value received. The range of this field is 0-127, with 127 being 
the full range of the controller. (Pitch bend is an exception — even though 
the pitch bend messages actually have a range of ± 8191, 0-127 
represents the full range here. For example, to specify that only a 
change of 10% or more in the total range of the bend wheel may be 
recorded, enter a 12 here, because 12 is approximately 10% of 127, 
which here represents the full range of the bend wheel.) If the Min 
change value is set too high, a stepping effect will be heard as the 
continuous controller is moved. Try to pick a value that is low enough so 
that the stepping is not noticeable. 

• The Velocity mode and Fixed veloc fields: 

Incoming MIDI note events are normally recorded into the sequence with 

their velocity values intact, permitting the recording of dynamics. These 
two fields permit the incoming velocity data to be ignored, if desired, and 
a fixed value substituted for each incoming note. The Velocity mode field 
has two options: NORMAL and FIXED. If set to FIXED, all incoming 
velocity values are replaced by the value specified in the neighboring 
Fixed veloc field (1-127). 



Page 21 1 



Chapter 1 1: MIDI Functions 



Using the MPC60 with External Sequencers 



If you use the MPC60 with an external sequencer, here's how to use 
only the sound generator or pads over MIDI. 



How to use the MPC60 only as a sound generator receiving notes 
from another sequencer 

1 . Press the MIDI key and select option 2. In the screen that appears, 
set the Active track receive channel field to the channel you want the 
MPC60 to receive on. 

2. In the Play/Record screen, set the Type field to DRUM or select a 
track tiiat Inas a Type of DRUM. 

3. Load in the desired program. 

4. To change the note number to sound assignments, press SOUNDS 
then 1. 



How to use the MPC60's pads to program drum parts on an external 
sequencer 

1 . In the Play/Record screen, set the Type field to DRUM or select a 
track that has a Type of DRUM. Then, set the track's Chn field to the 
desired output MIDI channel and port. 

2. Press the MIDI key, then option 1. In the screen that appears you 
can change the note numbers assigned to each pad if desired. 

3. If you are simultaneously using the pads to program the external 
sequencer and using the MPC60's sound generator to receive from 
the external sequencer, then set both the Soft thru and Local mode 
fields to OFF. These fields are in the screen accessed by pressing 
the MIDI key and selecting option 2. 



Page 212 



Chapter 11: MIDI Functions 



Turning All Notes Off 



Occasionally, a note from an externally connected synthesizer may stick 
on. This may be due to sending the synthesizer too much data, or 
switching an external IVIIDI switching box at the wrong time, or many 
other reasons. Regardless of the reason, to turn all notes off on all MIDI 
channels and ports, press the MIDI key and select option 4, All notes off. 
The MPC60 will send MIDI Note Off messages for every note (0-127) on 
every channel. 



Page 213 



Chapter 1 1: MIDI Functions 



The MIDI Implementation Charts 



This section contains the MIDI implementation charts for the MPC60. 
There are two charts — one for the sequencer section, and one for the 
pad and sound generator section. These charts are useful to determine if 
any incompatibilities exist between the MPC60 and your other MIDI 
instruments. 



Model: MPC60 (sound generator section) MIDI Implementation Chart Version: 3.1 



Function 


Transmitted 


RpPDnn i7Prl 


r\C 1 1 ICll rVo 


Basic 


Default 


16 




1 u 




Channel 


Channel 


1- 


16 


1-1fi 
1 1 \j 






Default 


3 




O 




Mode 


Messages 


X 




X 






Altered 


X 




X 




Note 




35- 


-98 


35-98 




Number 


True Voice 


35- 


-98 


35-98 




Velocity 


Note ON 


O 




O 






Note OFF 


O (Always = 64) 


X 




After 


Key's 


X 




X 


Used in Note 


Touch 


Ch's 


X 




o 


Repeat feature 


Pitch Bender 


X 


X 




Control 




X 




o 


Can be assigned to 


Change 










Note Variation Slider 


Prog 




X 




0-127 


See note below 


Change 


True# 


X 




0-7 




System Exclusive 


o 


o 




System 


:Song Pos 


X 




X 






:Song Sel 


X 




X 




Common 


:Tune 


X 




X 




System 


:Clock 


X 




X 




Real Time 


:Commands 


X 




X 




Aux 


:Local ON/OFF 


X 




X 




Mes- 


:AII Notes Off 


X 




o 




sages 


:Active Sense 


X 




X 






: Reset 


X 




X 





Mode 1 : OMNI ON, POLY Mode 2: OMNI ON, MONO O : Yes 

Mode 3: OMNI OFF, POLY Mode 4: OMNI OFF, MONO X : No 



Note : The MPC60 numbers its 8 programs as 1-8. Incoming Program Change numbers over 7 
(i.e., 8 in MPC60) will select program 8. 



Page 214 



Chapter 11: MIDI Functions 



Model: MPC60 (sequencer section) MIDI Implementation Chart Version: 3.1 



Function 


Transmitted 


Recognized 


Remarks 


Basic 


Default 


1-16 


1-16 




Channel 


Channel 


1-16 


1-16 






Default 


3 


1 




Mode 


Messages 


X 


X 






Altered 


X 


X 




Note 




0-127 


0-127 




Number 


True Voice 


0-127 


0-127 




Velocity 


Note ON 


O 


O 






Note OFF 


o 


o 




After 


Key's 


o 


o 




Touch 


Ch's 


o 


o 




Pitch Bender 


o 


o 




Control 


0-127 


o 


o 


See note below 


Change 










Prog 




o 


o 




Change 


True# 


0-127 


0-127 




System Exclusive 


O 


o 




System 


:Song Pos 


o 


o 






:Song Sel 


X 


o 




Common 


:Tune 


X 


X 




System 


iCIock 


o 


o 




Real Time 


:Commands 


o 


o 




Aux 


:Local ON/OFF 


X 


X 




Mes- 


:AII Notes Off 


o 


X 




sages 


:Active Sense 


X 


X 






: Reset 


X 


X 





Mode 1: OMNI ON, POLY Mode 2: OMNI ON, MONO 0:Yes 
Mode 3: OMNI OFF, POLY Mode 4: OMNI OFF, MONO X : No 



Note: If the Convert Sustain Pedal To Duration field (accessed by pressing the MIDI key and 
selecting option 2) is set to ON, then incoming controller 64 messages (sustain pedal) will not be 
recorded into sequences. Instead, any notes that are currently pressed when a Sustain On 
message is received are internally held on, even after they are released, until a Sustain Off 
message is received. The result is that the individual durations of notes are lengthened. This is 
explained further in the "MIDI Receive Channel, Local Mode, Soft Thru, Note Variation Controller 
Assign and Sustain Pedal Processing" section of the manual, earlier in this chapter. 



Page 215 



Appendix 



Appendix 



Technical Specifications of Al^ai l\/IPC60 



General 

• Display: 320 character (240 x 64 dot graphic) LCD 

• Disk drive: 3.5 inch DD (793KB formatted) 
•CPU: 80186 @ lOIVIHz 

• Dimensions: 495(W) x 127(H) x 471(D) mm 
•Weight: 10.5 l<g 

• Power requirements: 100 VAC (50/60 Hz)/30W; 120VAC (60Hz)/32W; 

220VAC (50Hz)/30W; 240VAC (50Hz)/30W 



Sound Generator 

• Sampling rate: 40kHz (frequency response: 20Hz-18kHz) 

• Sampling capacity (mono): 13.1 seconds standard; 26.2 seconds with 

750KB sound memory expansion option (EXI\/1003). 

• Data format: 16-bit A/D and D/A converters; samples stored in special 

non-linear 12-bit format for much lower noise than 12-bit linear 
systems 

• IVIaximum sounds in memory: 128 

• Number of sound programs: 8 

• Sound assignments per program: 64 

• Simultaneous voices: 16 



Sequencer 

• IVIaximum notes: 60,000 (512 KB) 

• Timing Resolution: 96 parts per 1/4-note (ppq) 

• Sequences: 99 

• Tracks per sequence: 99 

• IVIIDI output channels: 64 (16 channels x 4 output ports) 

• Song mode: 20 songs, 250 steps per song 

• Drum pads: 16 (velocity and pressure sensitive) 

• Drum pad banks: 4 

• Sync modes: IVIIDI Time Code, MIDI clock, FSK 24, SMPTE and 1/4 

Note Click. SMPTE frame rates supported are 24, 25, 29.97 drop and 
30. 



Rear Panel Inputs/Outputs 

• Record input sensitivity: (HI gain) -65dBm, 45kQ; (MID gain) -45dBm, 

45kQ; (LO gain) -27dBm, 45kQ 

• Stereo output level: -3dBv, 600Q 

• Level of 8 individual outputs: OdBv, 600Q 

• Echo send mixer output level: -1 .5dBv, 600Q 

• Echo return input level: -3dBv, lOkQ 

• Headphone output (MPC60-II only): 1 

• Sync/Trigger input level: 0.5V p-p - 1 V p-p 



Page 218 



Sync output level: 1.0V p-p, impedance 220Q 

Metronome output: 1 clock 

MIDI inputs: 2 (mergeable) 

MIDI outputs: 4 (independent) 

Foot Switch inputs: 2 (independently assignable) 

RS-232C computer port (MPC60 only): 1 



Page 219 



Appendix 



Answers to Frequent Questions 



If you discover a problem in the Version 3.1 software, we at Roger Linn 

Design would appreciate it if you would please read the relevant section 
of the manual to make sure you correctly understand the operation 
before calling us. Here are some answers to commonly asked questions 
and problems: 



When I play a particular sequence or song, the timing is irregular. 
What's wrong? 

If you notice a timing irregularity in song mode at the point of transition 
from one sequence into another, the problem may be caused by 
assignments of the Pgm (Program) field (in the Play/Record screen) for 
the new playing sequence. When a new sequence is encountered in a 
song, any program assignments for the tracks in the newly selected 
sequence are sent out at the moment that the sequence starts to play. 
This can present a problem because most synthesizers require time to 
change programs, which can cause any notes existing at the start of the 
new sequence to be delayed. This delay is brief in most synthesizers, 
but is usually enough to cause a timing irregularity at the start of the 
sequence. To avoid this problem, remove any assignments of the Pgm 
field for all sequences except the first sequence in the song. If you are 
encountering the same problem when changing sequences while playing 
(in which case the new sequence begins immediately following the 
current repetition of the current sequence), then use the same solution: 
remove all program assignments for the newly selected sequence. 

If the timing irregularity does not exist at the beginning of a sequence, it 
may be due to the sequence containing a large system exclusive 
message at that location, in which case the MPC60 must finish 
processing the system exclusive message before playing any other 
notes at that location. If this is the case, erase or move the system 
exclusive event that is causing the problem. 

If the timing irregularity does not exist at the beginning of a sequence 
and is not due to a system exclusive event, it may be due to having too 
many notes (more than approximately 10 or 12) at one tick in the 
sequence. If so, this could cause the last notes occurring at this location 
to be delayed. This problem is aggravated at faster tempos. This 
problem exists to some degree in ail sequencers, and is due to the fact 
that there is a finite number of notes that the internal computer can 
process at one time. However, this will NOT cause the sequence to slip 
out of sync when syncing to an external sync source. To reduce the 
processing requirement in your sequence, try the following: 

1 . Erase any unnecessary events from the sequence. For example, 
erase any channel pressure, poly pressure and system exclusive 
events if you are not using them. Many keyboards send out large 
amounts of channel pressure messages while playing, which are 
recorded into your tracks. If you are not using these messages. 



Page 220 



Appendix 



removing them from the tracks will improve the playback timing. To 
block these messages from being recorded into new sequences, use 
the MIDI Input Filter (MIDI key, option 3). 

2. Erase any tracks that are turned off but still exist in the sequence. 
Turning a track off (the On field in tlie Play/Record screen) reduces 
tlie processing requirement for playing tlie track, but doesn't eliminate 
it. 

3. If you only need to improve tlie timing wfiile recording your sequence 

to tape and are using a sync tone, then record the sequence to tape a 
few tracks at a time, and turn off or erase the tracks you are not using 
on each pass. By eliminating the need for the MPC60 to process the 
tracks tfiat aren't being heard, the timing of the remaining tracks will 
be improved. 

4. In the Play/Record screen, disable Record Ready by selecting a 
different sequence, then the original one. This slightly lessens the 
processing requirement. 

5. If the delay is due to many notes existing at one tick, then either delete 
some of the notes or spread them around to neighboring ticks. 



How can I reduce the time required for the "Analyzing sequence. 
Please wait..." message? 

This message is most noticeable during song mode. It appears once 

after the song is edited and when the song screen is entered while a 
long song is selected. The reason for this delay is that the MPC60 must 
scan through the entire song to learn where the start of each bar is. 
Once this is done, any rewind, fast forward or locate operation will be 
very fast. Also, response to incoming SMPTE will be nearly immediate. 
Unfortunately, there is no way to reduce the time required for this 
message other than reducing the complexity of the song. 



I want to use the MPC60 only as a sound generator receiving notes 
from another sequencer. How can I get It to play from only one MIDI 
channel? 

1. Press the MIDI key and select option 2. In the screen that appears, set 
the Active track receive channel field to the channel you want the 
MPC60 to receive on. 

2. In the Play/Record screen, set the Type field to DRUM or select a 
track that has a Type of DRUM. 

3. Load in the desired program. 



I want to use the MRCGO's pads to program drum parts on an 
external sequencer, but I can't get any of the MIDI outputs to send 
note-on messages when I play the pads. How do I do It? 

1 . In the Play/Record screen, set the Type field to DRUM or select a 
track that has a Type of DRUM. Then, set the track's Chn field to the 
desired output MIDI channel and port. 

2. In the MIDI key, option 1 screen, you can change the note numbers 
assigned to each pad if desired. 

3. If you are simultaneously using the pads to program the external 
sequencer and using the MPCBO's sound generator to receive from 



Page 221 



Appendix 



the external sequencer, then set both the Soft thru and Local mode 
fields to OFF. These fields are in the screen accessed by pressing the 
IVIIDI key and selecting option 2. 



When I play a key on my keyboard synthesizer while connected to 
the IVIPC60, two voices play in my keyboard for every one key 
pressed. Why? 

When you play a key on the synthesizer l<eyboard, it plays the note 
internally and also sends a note over IVIIDI to the IVIPCGO. Because the 
IV!PC60's Soft thru feature is normally set to ON, that note is immediately 
sent back out to the keyboard, causing it to play the same note again. To 
solve this problem, turn Soft thru off (press the IVIIDI key, then select 
option 2) or disable Local Control on your keyboard synthesizer. 



Page 222 



Appendix 



Contents of Disk Files 

The following is a list of the contents of each of the six file types. 



The SEQ (sequence) file 

Sequence name (file name is used) 

Loop status (END or TO BAR) and TO BAR bar number 

Sequence tempo 

SIVIPTE offset 

List of tempo changes 

Active track number 

For each track: 

• Track name 

• Track on/off 

• Primary output IVIIDI channel & port 

• Secondary output MIDI channel & port 

• Track type assignment (drum or MIDI) 

• Track volume 

• Track program assignment 

Sequence mixer data (for each of the 64 note numbers 35-98): 

• Stereo mixer volume 

• Stereo mixer pan 

• Individual out/echo mix assignment 

• Individual out/echo mix volume 

• Indiv Out/Echo Mix Volume Follows Stereo (yes/no) 
Sequence effects settings 

List of events in sequence (actual sequence event data) 



The ALL (all sequences and songs) file 

Data for all 99 sequences (see SEQ file above) 
Data for each of 20 songs: 

• Song name 

• Loop status (END or TO STEP) and TO STEP step 
number 

• SMPTE offset 

• Contents of each step in song 



The SND (single sound) file 

Sound name (file name is used) 
Sample data for sound 
Tuning 
Volume 

Soft Start and Soft End 



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Appendix 



The PGM (single program) file 

Program name (file name is used) 
For each of tine 64 pads (A01-D16): 

• Note number assignment 

For each of the 64 note numbers 35-98: 

• Sound name (name only — program contains no sound data) 

• Sound assignment mode (normal, simultaneous, velocity 

switch or decay switch) 

• Alternate note number assignments (2) 

• Velocity or decay switch thresholds (2) 

• Envelope attacl<, decay and decay mode 

• Velocity modulation of attacl<, start address and volume 

• Tuning 

• Poly mode (poly, mono or note off) 

• Cutoff assignments (2) 
Note variation data: 

• Note number assignment for slider 

• Low and high range limits for each of the three parameter types 

(tuning, attack, or decay) 

• For each of the 64 note numbers (35-98): 

• Note variation parameter select 
Program mixer data (for each of the 64 note numbers 35-98): 

• Stereo mixer volume and pan 

• Individual out/echo mix assignment 

• Individual out/echo mix volume 

• Indiv Out/Echo IVlix Volume Follows Stereo (yes/no) 



The APS (all programs and sounds) file 

Program data for each of the 8 programs (see above) 
Active program number 

Source of mixer data (program, sequence or master): 

• For stereo mix 

• For individual output/echo mix 
Record live mix changes setting (on/off) 
Audio trigger note number assignment 

IVIaster mixer data (for each of the 64 note numbers 35-98): 

• Stereo mixer volume and pan 

• Individual out/echo mix assignment 

• Individual out/echo mix volume 

• Indiv Out/Echo IVlix Volume Follows Stereo (yes/no) 



Page 224 



Appendix 



The PAR (system parameters) file 

(Play/Record screen) 

MIDI channel name for each of the 64 MIDI output channels 

(16 Levels screen) 

Parameter select for 1 6 levels (velocity or note variation) 

(Tempo screen) 
Master tempo 

Tempo display mode (BPM or FPB) 
Frames per second (24, 25, 29.97 drop or 30) 
Tempo source (master or sequence) 
Tap averaging count (2, 3 or 4 taps) 

(Sync screen) 

Sync input source (MIDI clock, MTC, SMPTE, or FSK) 

MIDI input used for receiving sync 

MIDI clock sync: song pointer enable/disable 

Shift Sync Early field (number of milliseconds) 

Sync input enable/disable 

MIDI clock output assignment 

(Timing Correct screen) 

Timing correct note value, swing, shift direction and amount 

(Step Edit Options screen) 
Event to insert 

Auto Step Increment On Key Release setting (on/off) 
Duration of recorded notes (as played, same as step) 
Function of Soft Keys 1 and 2 (insert/delete or paste/cut) 
Function of Rewind & Fast Forward keys (next event or next step) 
Step Edit Display Filter settings 

(MIDI Routing screen) 

Active track receive channel 

Local Mode setting (on/off) 

Soft Thru setting (on/off) 

Controller assignment for Note Variation Slider 

Convert Sustain Pedal To Duration setting (on/off) 

(MIDI Input Filter screen) 

Sound Generator Input Filter settings 

Sequencer Input Filter settings 

(OTHER screen) 

Metronome volume, output select and rate 
Metronome In Play setting (on/off) 
Count In mode (record only, normal) 
Foot Switch assignments (2) 



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Appendix 



(Auto Punch screen) 
all settings 

(Initialize Sequence screen) 
all settings 

(Erase screen) 
all settings 

(Sample New Sound screen) 
Monitor setting (on/off) 
Record length 
Record level 
Record threshold 
Pre-record time 

(Copy Events screen) 

Mode select (merge or replace) 

(Edit Velocity/Duration screen) 

Edit Velocity Or Duration select 

Edit Action select (add, subtract, multiply or replace) 

Value 

(Second Sequence screen) 
Sequence number 

(Hard Disk Format screen) 

Disk Type select (standard or Syquest) 

(Load SEQ, ALL, SET or ST1 screens) 

Conversion table (converts "drum" assignments to note numbers) 

(SCSI status screen) 

SCSI device address to make active 

SCSI search timeout 

(All screens with two or more editable fields) 
Cursor position (field number) within screen 



Page 226 



Appendix 



MPC60 Options 

This section describes tlie two options available for the MPC60. 



Expanding the Sound Memory 

The MPC60 includes 750KB of sound memory (13.1 seconds) but is 
expandable to 1.5MB (26.2 seconds) using a special 750KB memory 
board. This expansion board can be purchased from a California 
company called Mountain International. They can be reached at (619) 
473-8374. 



The SCSI Hard Disk Option 

The M PC-SCSI option, manufactured by Marion Systems and sold by 
Roger Linn Design, allows you to connect an external SCSI drive (such 

as an Iomega Zip drive) to your MPC60, greatly increasing storage 
capacity and the speed with which you can load and store files. 



Page 227 



Appendix 



Using Version 3.1 Software in the Al^ai ASQ10 
Sequencer 

Version 3.1 software may be installed in the Akai ASQ10 MIDI 
Sequencer, substantially enhancing its sequencing capabilities to that of 
an updated MPC60. This is because the ASQ10 is internally identical to 
the MPCeO's sequencer section, lacking the MPC60's sound generation, 
sampling and drum pad functions. 

However, version 3.1 software is optimized for the IVIPC60 and will 
therefore present the following inconveniences to the ASQ10 user: 

• The ASQIO's TEIVIPO button will have the function of the MPC60's 
TEMPO/SYNC button. 

• The ASQIO's SYNC button will have the function of the MPC60's 
DRUM MIXER button, which is useless on the ASQ10. 

• The ASQIO's DRUMS button will have the function of the MPC60's 
SOUNDS button, which is useless on the ASQ10. 

• Various screens will present parameters related to sound generation, 
sound or program disk files, or use of drum pads, all of which are 
useless on the ASQ10. 



Despite these inconveniences, version 3.1 software will add the same 
new sequencing capabilities to the ASQ10 as to the MPC60, significantly 
enhancing the usefulness and value of the ASQ10. 



Page 228 



Index 



Index 



[<] and [>] keys, 35 

[«] and [»] keys, 35 

+ and - keys, 13 

16 LEVELS key, 22 

2nd SEQ key, 56 

Active Track, defined, 30 

All Notes Off, 213 

Analyzing Sequence message, 221 

Answers to frequent questions, 220 

Appendix, 217 

ASQ10 Sequencer, installing version 3.1 software in, 228 
Audio Trigger, 148 
AUTO PUNCH key, 54 

Example, 55 
BANK 2 key, 18 
Bar. beat. tick fields, 26 
Basic Operations, 9 
CInoice fields, 13 
Command keys, 12 
Compressing sounds, 152 
Copying a sequence, 78 
Copying Bars, 74 
Copying Events, 76 
COUNT IN key, 53 
Cursor, cursor keys, 11 

Cutoff (cutting off one sound wlien anotlier plays), 119 
Data entry 

Choice fields, 13 

Command keys, 12 

Cursor, 11 

Data fields, 1 1 
Data Entry 

+ and - keys, 13 

Data Entry knob, 12 

Numeric keypad, 12 
Data Entry knob, 12 
Data fields, 1 1 
Deleting Bars, 74 
Disk 

Auto loading sounds and sequences, 17 

Automatically loading files on power-up, 176 

Contents of file types, 223 

Copying a floppy, 181 

Disk Files, overview, 1 54 

DISK key, 153 

Erasing files, 165 

Error messages, 183 

Formatting a floppy disk, 182 

Formatting a SCSI hard disk, 185 

light above DISK key, 155 

Loading a PAR file (system parameters), 176 

Loading a program file (and its sounds), 170 

Loading a sequence file, 167 

Loading a sound file, 170 

Loading ALL files (all sequences and songs), 169 
Loading an APS file (all programs and sounds), 172 



Page 230 



Index 



Loading an MPC60 version 1 or 2 SET or ST1 file, 172 

Loading files, 165 

Loading MPC60 version 1 or 2 ALL files, 170 
Loading MPC60 version 1 or 2 sequence files, 167 
Making a SCSI device active, 186 
MIDI Files, 177 
Partitions of hard disk, 185 
Renaming files, 165 

Saving a PAR file (system parameters), 163 

Saving a sequence, 156 

Saving a single program (and its sounds), 159 

Saving a single sound, 158 

Saving an ALL file (all sequences and songs), 157 

Saving an APS file (all programs and sounds), 161 

Saving files, 156 

Termination, 184 

Using a SCSI hard disk, 184 
DRUM MIX Key, 123 
Drum Tracks, 26, 30 
EDIT key, 71 
EDIT LOOP key, 95 

Edit Loop, using as an undo function, 96 

Edit Note Data (global editing of note events), 80 

Envelope (volume), 117 

ERASE key, 66 

Erasing notes in real time, 66 

Erasing notes while stopped, 66 

External sequencers, 212 

FAST FORWARD keys, 35 

Foot Switches, 58 

Free Sequence Memory, 58 

FULL LEVEL key, 18 

Gain Switch (rear panel), 139 

Getting around on the MPC60, 11 

HELP key, 13 

Hooking up your system, 10 

Individual out/echo send mixer, 126 

Inserting Blank Bars, 73 

Irregular timing, 220 

Local Mode, 206 

LOCATE key, 35 

Looping, sequence, 29 

MAIN SCREEN key, 27 

Metronome settings, 57 

MIDI 

All notes off, 213 

Assigning Pads to Note Numbers, 204 

Feedback loop, 207 

Implementation Charts, 214 

Input Filter, 209 

Local Mode, 206 

MIDI key, 203 

MIDI Routing, 206 

Output channel assignment for tracks, 31 
Receive Channel, 206 
Soft Thru, 206 



Page 231 



Index 



MIDI channels, 26 

MIDI System-Exclusive Data, recording, 64 
MIDI Tracks, 26, 30 

Mix Data, setting all channels at once, 129 

Mix, automated, 132 

Mixer source select, 131 

Mixers, text view, 1 28 

Multichannel Sequence Recording, 60 

Note Number Assignment, globally editing, 82 

Note Number, defined, 15 

Note Repeat, 45 

Note variation 

Globally editing, 83 
Note Variation 

16 LEVELS key, 22 

AFTER key, 21 

Assigning slider to performance parameters, 20 
Controlling from external MIDI controller, 207 
Defined, 19 
Slider, 19 

NOW field (current location counter), 32 

Numeric Keypad, 12 

Options for MPC60, 227 

OTHER key, 57 

OVERDUE key, 34 

Overdub Mode, defined, 34 

Pad, defined, 15 

PLAY key, 34 

PLAY START key, 34 

PLAY/RECORD keys, 34 

Play/Record screen, 27 

Poly Mode (poly, mono or note off), 118 

Programs 

Active Program, defined. 111 

Copying and Initializing, 120 

Defined, 16, 108 

Graphic representation of, 108 

How to create, 110 

Individual out/echo send mixer, 126 

Mix data, text view, 128 

Note Numbers, 108 

Pad Banks, 18 

Pad, defined, 15 

Playing simultaneous sounds, 112 
Poly mode (poly, mono or note off), 118 

Selecting, 18 

Selecting the active program and assigning sounds. 111 
Sound Assignment mode, 112 
SOUNDS key, 107 
Stereo Mixer, 124 

Switching sounds depending on Envelope Decay, 114 
The DRUM MIX Key, 123 
Tuning, 118 

Velocity modulation of attack, start address & volume, 118 
Velocity switching between sounds., 113 
Volume Envelope, 117 



Page 232 



Index 



Punching in and out, 28, 34 
Record 16 CInannels, 60 
RECORD key, 34 
Record Level Control, 139 
Record Ready mode, 27 
Reversing sample data, 143 
REWIND keys, 35 
Sample data, editing, 143 
Sampling a new sound, 136 
Sampling, an example, 139 
Sampling, parameters, 136 
SCSI option, 227 

Searching SCSI for hard disk, eliminating the power-on delay, 188 
Sequence, defined, 14 

Sequencer, using the MPC60's sounds and pads with another, 212 
Sequencer, using the MPC60's sounds and pads with another;, 221 
Sequencers, 212 
Sequences 

Active Track, defined, 30 

Bar.beat.tick fields, 26 

Changing while playing, 27 

Copying, 78 

Copying bars, 74 

Copying events, 76 

Data organization, 26 

Defined, 14 

Deleting, 68 

Deleting all, 68 

Deleting bars, 74 

Drum Tracks, 30 

EDIT key, 71 

Editing, 65 

Editing note data (global editing of note events), 80 
Erasing, 66 

Erasing notes in real time, 66 

Erasing notes while stopped, 66 

Globally editing drum note number assignment, 82 

Globally editing velocity or duration data, 80 

Initializing, 69 

Inserting blank bars, 73 

Looping, 29 

MIDI channels, 26 

MIDI Tracks, 26, 30 

Note Variation Data, globally editing, 83 

Play/Record screen, 27 

Program number assignment for tracks, 31 

Punching in and out, 28, 34 

Record all 16 MIDI channels, 60 

Record Ready mode, 27 

Recording, 25, 34 

Recording with multiple tracks, example, 39 

Recording, example, 37 

Shift Timing, 78 

Step Editing (visual editing), 85 

Step Recording, 94 

Ticks, 26 



Page 233 



Index 



Track, defined, 14 
Transposing, 97 
SInift Timing, 78 

Shift Tinning (in Tinning Correct), 44 

Soft Keys, 13 

Soft TInru, IVIIDI, 206 

Software version, 59 

Songs 

An example of creating, 104 

Converting a song into a long sequence, 106 

Defined, 14 

Overview, 100 

SONG IVIODE key, 101 

Song IVIode screen, 101 
Sound IVlodule, using tlie I\/1PC60 as a, 212, 221 
Sounds 

Compressing, 152 

Defined, 15 

Deleting all, 146 

Finding tfie Best Soft Start, 142 

Gain Switch (rear panel), 139 

Record Level Control, 139 

Renaming, copying and deleting, 145 

Reversing sample data, 143 

Sample data, editing, 143 

Sampling a new sound, 136 

Sampling, parameters, 136 

Soft end, 141 

Soft start, 141 

Sound memory expansion option, 227 

SOUNDS key, 135 

Stereo sampling, 149 

Trigger from audio source, 148 

Tuning, 141 

Volume, 141 
STEP EDIT key, 85 
Step Edit Options, 91 
Step Edit, event types, 87 
Step Edit, using, 86 
Step Recording, 94 
Stereo Mixer, 124 
Stereo sounds, 149 
STOP key, 34 

Sustain Pedal, converting to note durations, 207 

Swing, 44 

Sync 

1/4-note clicks, 191, 194 
1/4-note clicks, syncing to, 201 
FSK24, 191, 194 
FSK24, syncing to, 200 
IVIIDI clock, 190, 191 
MIDI clock, generating, 195 
MIDI clock, syncing to, 197 
MIDI time code, 190, 193 
MIDI time code, syncing to, 200 
Outputting sync, 195 



Page 234 



Index 



SMPTE, 190, 192 

SMPTE, generating, 195 

SMPTE, syncing to, 197 

Sync screen, 190 

Turning sync input on and off, 195 
System Parameters, initializing, 60 
System-Exclusive Data, recording, 64 
Tap Averaging, 49 
TAP TEIVIPO l<ey, 51 
Teciinical specifications, 218 
Tempo 

Adjusting, 29, 47 

BPIVI/FPB, 48 

BPIVI/FPB select, 28 

Frames/second, 48 

Source select (master or sequence), 29, 47 

Sync, external, 189 

TAP TEIVIPO key, 51 

Tap Tempo, Tap Averaging, 49 

Tempo changes, mid-sequence, 50 

Tempo screen, 47 
TEMPO/SYNC key, sync functions, 189 
Ticks, 26 
Time Signature 

Viewing, 29 

Viewing and changing, 71 
Timing Correct 

Note Repeat, 45 
TIMING CORRECT key, 43 
Timing delays, 220 
Track, defined, 14, 26 
Tracks, muting, 33 
Tracks, rearranging order of, 72 
Tracks, soloing, 33 
TRANSPOSE key, 97 
Transposing in real time while playing, 98 
Troubleshooting, 220 
Tuning (program data), 118 
Undo, using EDIT LOOP key, 96 

Velocity modulation of attack, start address & volume, 118 
Velocity or duration data, globally editing, 80 
WAIT FOR KEY key, 53 



Page 235